Photos Show NASA's Mars Helicopter Taking Flight for the First Time
It was the first powered aircraft flight on another planet.
In February, NASA's Perseverance rover made its dramatic descent onto Mars' surface to begin studying the red planet's habitability in the ancient past. The rover in itself poses exciting new opportunities for astronomers, but it also landed with a four-pound helicopter in its underbelly that will assist with research.
The helicopter—named the Ingenuity—was recently deployed from the Perseverance in preparation for a series of test flights, and on Monday, it finally lifted off the ground, making history as the first powered aircraft to take flight on another planet.
The Ingenuity was only airborne for 39 seconds, a short but promising feat for something that's never been done before. While it was in the air, it snapped a couple of photos that show its cameras are functioning, too.
Mission controllers, based out of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, nervously waited for three hours after the Ingenuity's flight to receive word if everything went as planned. The Associated Press reports that when news of the success reached home, the control center erupted in cheers, applause, and laughter.
"We’ve been talking so long about our Wright Brothers moment, and here it is," project manager MiMi Aung told AP. The Ingenuity even carried a bit of wing fiber from the Wright Flyer as a nod to the first-ever aircraft flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, more than 117 years ago.
The Ingenuity will undergo more test flights in the future and assuming everything goes well, it will pave a groundbreaking path moving forward. Having functional helicopters on other planets will allow space researchers to scout new areas remotely and cover dangerous terrain more easily in their quest to understand the nuances of our solar system.
Scroll down for a selection of photos and GIFs documenting the Ingenuity's historic test flight on Mars.
