First Flight On Mars

On April 19, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter became the first aircraft to fly on another planet.

Our most recent package details the historic first flight of the 4-lb. robotic rotorcraft, which lasted 39.1 seconds, and its follow-up venture on April 22, and looks ahead to its future test program. The technology lays the groundwork for aerial exploration of Mars, an aeronautical feat given the air density of Mars is less than 1% of the density on Earth. See below for more.

“How do we use aerial mobility in the future on Mars, to help not just robotic exploration, but to help human exploration?”
Ellen Stofan
Smithsonian
Sep 04, 2020
Ask the Editors: NASA has continued its exploration blueprints by building support among both Democratic and Republican legislators.
Aug 27, 2020
Launch companies Orbex and Skyrora are gearing up fo launch from UK shores in 2022, as long as spaceports and regulations are in place.
Aug 26, 2020
The U.S. Space Force has completed a milestone test for the mitigation and anti-jam enhancement capability part of the Wideband Global SATCOM program.
Aug 24, 2020
The UK is facing competition from sites in Norway, Sweden and the Azores for smallsat launch from Europe.
Aug 19, 2020
Collins Aerospace Systems has reached a milestone in the development of its higher bandwidth Iridium Certus airborne satellite communications (SATCOM) system.
Aug 18, 2020
Airbus has been contracted by Arabsat to build BADR-8, their new generation telecommunications satellite, which will replace and increase Arabsat’s capacity and augment its core business at the BADR hotspot 26°E, whilst expanding services across the EMEA region.
Aug 14, 2020
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aug 14, 2020
Readers write about NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, Japan’s Aegis Ashore plan and Boeing’s midmarket airplane strategy.