NASA set earliest date for first Ingenuity Mars Helicopter flight

The 1.8kg rotorcraft is attached to the underside of NASA’s Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars on February 18. On March 21, the rover deployed the graphite composite debris shield that protected Ingenuity during landing. According to NASA, the rover is in transit to the 10mx10m ‘airfield’ where Ingenuity will attempt to fly. Once deployed, Ingenuity will have 30 Martian days (or sols, equivalent to 31 Earth days) to conduct test flights.

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“Aptly named, Ingenuity is a technology demonstration that aims to be the first powered flight on another world and, if successful, could further expand our horizons and broaden the scope of what is possible with Mars exploration,” Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA headquarters said in a statement.