{"id":53237,"date":"2021-04-19T11:22:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T15:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-470246"},"modified":"2023-07-26T16:07:13","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T20:07:13","slug":"nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-succeeds-in-historic-first-flight","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-succeeds-in-historic-first-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Succeeds in Historic First Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg?w=640\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took this shot while hovering over the Martian surface on April 19, 2021\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg?resize=600,450 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this shot as it hovered over the Martian surface on April 19, 2021, during the first instance of powered, controlled flight on another planet. It used its navigation camera, which autonomously tracks the ground during flight. <strong>Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Monday, NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. The Ingenuity team at the agency\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California confirmed the flight succeeded after receiving data from the helicopter via NASA\u2019s Perseverance Mars rover at 6:46 a.m. EDT (3:46 a.m. PDT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIngenuity is the latest in a long and storied tradition of NASA projects achieving a space exploration goal once thought impossible,\u201d said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk. \u201cThe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/60th\/x-15\/\">X-15<\/a> was a pathfinder for the space shuttle. Mars Pathfinder and its Sojourner rover did the same for three generations of Mars rovers. We don\u2019t know exactly where Ingenuity will lead us, but today\u2019s results indicate the sky \u2013 at least on Mars \u2013 may not be the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The solar-powered helicopter first became airborne at 3:34 a.m. EDT (12:34 a.m. PDT) \u2013 12:33 Local Mean Solar Time (Mars time) \u2013 a time the Ingenuity team determined would have optimal energy and flight conditions. Altimeter data indicate Ingenuity climbed to its prescribed maximum altitude of 10 feet (3 meters) and maintained a stable hover for 30 seconds. It then descended, touching back down on the surface of Mars after logging a total of 39.1 seconds of flight. Additional details on the test are expected in upcoming downlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"hds-media-import-wrapper\"><figcaption>In this video captured by NASA\u2019s Perseverance rover, the agency\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took the first powered, controlled flight on another planet on April 19, 2021. <strong>Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/ASU\/MSSS<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ingenuity\u2019s initial flight demonstration was autonomous \u2013 piloted by onboard guidance, navigation, and control systems running algorithms developed by the team at JPL. Because data must be sent to and returned from the Red Planet over hundreds of millions of miles using orbiting satellites and NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/heo\/scan\/services\/networks\/deep_space_network\/about\">Deep Space Network<\/a>, Ingenuity cannot be flown with a joystick, and its flight was not observable from Earth in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA Associate Administrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen announced the name for the Martian airfield on which the flight took place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNow, 117 years after the Wright brothers succeeded in making the first flight on our planet, NASA\u2019s Ingenuity helicopter has succeeded in performing this amazing feat on another world,\u201d Zurbuchen said. \u201cWhile these two iconic moments in aviation history may be separated by time and 173 million miles of space, they now will forever be linked. As an homage to the two innovative bicycle makers from Dayton, this first of many airfields on other worlds will now be known as <strong>Wright Brothers Field<\/strong>, in recognition of the ingenuity and innovation that continue to propel exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ingenuity\u2019s chief pilot, H\u00e5vard Grip, announced that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) \u2013 the United Nations\u2019 civil aviation agency \u2013 presented NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration with official ICAO designator IGY, call-sign INGENUITY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These details will be included officially in the next edition of ICAO\u2019s publication <a href=\"https:\/\/gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure-web.cisco.com%2F1zuRjtBmX0A-hrAEKF_qDnSVfJszxhnRAbh3kVVpJ2Bwc4Vvg1OJiDXuh1yE1hghiQVYYhVea0uYIKQ9tjpmKjtx93TYsdGNiisgFs1uVsb201MTfT1_Ka2SGklU5O9cCYPV3f7lPV7mmwTvRTaKn69vrNH8VEv2Mbt1YWHAxSyLMGUYD014ukj4n5vJLKVQwVEQaMHBdgbSvW3R-Io55LrgVZ0Zk3luNcb_4jcBNXIXBTlA_9qrS_rOSTKSSvsXdCrhAwlbyzsm5hMLb8qIt07v9r8vhtHjd40DC6PlR9RmK-SkZQkj7nmL4Z15pVL7P%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fstore.icao.int%252Fen%252Fdesignators-for-aircraft-operating-agencies-aeronautical-authorities-and-services-doc-8585&data=04%7C01%7Cgrey.hautaluoma-1%40nasa.gov%7Cc65792190d62443ff25808d902d0a562%7C7005d45845be48ae8140d43da96dd17b%7C0%7C0%7C637543917426185431%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=uKuCNLPDTJ8g2GyblLdEPiCyn9ea4Cd0l%2FK9VmWij7Y%3D&reserved=0\" rel=\"noopener\">Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services<\/a>. The location of the flight has also been given the ceremonial location designation JZRO for Jezero Crater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one of NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/tdm\/main\/index.html\">technology demonstration projects<\/a>, the 19.3-inch-tall (49-centimeter-tall) Ingenuity Mars Helicopter contains no science instruments inside its tissue-box-size fuselage. Instead, the 4-pound (1.8-kg) rotorcraft is intended to demonstrate whether future exploration of the Red Planet could include an aerial perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This first flight was full of unknowns. The Red Planet has a significantly lower gravity \u2013 one-third that of Earth\u2019s \u2013 and an extremely thin atmosphere with only 1% the pressure at the surface compared to our planet. This means there are relatively few air molecules with which Ingenuity\u2019s two 4-foot-wide (1.2-meter-wide) rotor blades can interact to achieve flight. The helicopter contains unique components, as well as off-the-shelf-commercial parts \u2013 many from the smartphone industry \u2013 that were tested in deep space for the first time with this mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Mars Helicopter project has gone from \u2018blue sky\u2019 feasibility study to workable engineering concept to achieving the first flight on another world in a little over six years,\u201d said Michael Watkins, director of JPL. \u201cThat this project has achieved such a historic first is testimony to the innovation and doggedness of our team here at JPL, as well as at NASA\u2019s Langley and Ames Research Centers, and our industry partners. It\u2019s a shining example of the kind of technology push that thrives at JPL and fits well with NASA\u2019s exploration goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parked about 211 feet (64.3 meters) away at <a href=\"https:\/\/photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov\/catalog\/PIA24435\" rel=\"noopener\">Van Zyl Overlook<\/a> during Ingenuity\u2019s historic first flight, the Perseverance rover not only acted as a communications relay between the helicopter and Earth, but also chronicled the flight operations with its cameras. The pictures from the rover\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mars2020\/spacecraft\/instruments\/mastcam-z\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Mastcam-Z<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mars2020\/spacecraft\/rover\/cameras\/#NavCams-Engineering-Cameras\" rel=\"noopener\">Navcam<\/a> imagers will provide additional data on the helicopter\u2019s flight.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have been thinking for so long about having our Wright brothers moment on Mars, and here it is,\u201d said MiMi Aung, project manager of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at JPL. \u201cWe will take a moment to celebrate our success and then take a cue from Orville and Wilbur regarding what to do next. History shows they got back to work \u2013 to learn as much as they could about their new aircraft \u2013 and so will we.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perseverance <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/touchdown-nasas-mars-perseverance-rover-safely-lands-on-red-planet\">touched down<\/a> with Ingenuity attached to its belly on Feb. 18. Deployed to the surface of Jezero Crater on April 3, Ingenuity is currently on the 16th sol, or Martian day, of its 30-sol (31-Earth day) flight test window. Over the next three sols, the helicopter team will receive and analyze all data and imagery from the test and formulate a plan for the second experimental test flight, scheduled for no earlier than April 22. If the helicopter survives the second flight test, the Ingenuity team will consider how best to expand the flight profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More About Ingenuity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>JPL, which built Ingenuity, also manages the technology demonstration project for NASA. It is supported by NASA\u2019s Science, Aeronautics, and Space Technology mission directorates. The agency\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity\u2019s development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dave Lavery is the program executive for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, MiMi Aung is the project manager, and Bob Balaram is chief engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information about Ingenuity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/go.nasa.gov\/ingenuity-press-kit\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>and<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/technology\/helicopter\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More About Perseverance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key objective for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/perseverance\">Perseverance\u2019s<\/a> mission on Mars is <a href=\"https:\/\/astrobiology.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">astrobiology<\/a>, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet\u2019s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>JPL built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover. JPL is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-end-<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Alana Johnson \/ Grey Hautaluoma<br \/>\nHeadquarters, Washington<br \/>\n202-672-4780 \/ 202-358-0668<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov\">alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ <a href=\"mailto:grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov\">grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>DC Agle<br \/>\nJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br \/>\n818-393-9011<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:agle@jpl.nasa.gov\">agle@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Monday, NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. The Ingenuity team at the agency\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California confirmed the flight succeeded after receiving data from the helicopter via NASA\u2019s Perseverance Mars rover at 6:46 a.m. EDT (3:46 a.m. PDT). \u201cIngenuity [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":53433,"template":"","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"21-039","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"RELEASE","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[]},"categories":[2857,2867,2788],"news-tags":[12373],"internal-terms":[9514,9508],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Succeeds in Historic First Flight","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-succeeds-in-historic-first-flight\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-succeeds-in-historic-first-flight\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NASA"}],"creator":["NASA"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Technology Demonstration","Goddard Space Flight Center","NASA Headquarters"],"dateCreated":"2021-04-19T15:22:00Z","datePublished":"2021-04-19T15:22:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-26T20:07:13Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Succeeds in Historic First Flight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-succeeds-in-historic-first-flight\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-04-19T15:22:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Technology Demonstration,Goddard Space Flight Center,NASA Headquarters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"NASA\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":7,"featured_image":{"id":53433,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/ncam_flight10000000.pbin_.jpeg","title":"ncam_flight10000000.pbin_","alt":"NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took this shot while hovering over the Martian surface on April 19, 2021","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/53237"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/53237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":366650,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/53237\/revisions\/366650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53237"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=53237"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=53237"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=53237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}