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
Mar 08, 2019
Eight years after shuttle flights ended, SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule reaches space station for test run, ushering in “new era in space.”
Mar 08, 2019
A former NASA extravehicular system manager for the ISS, Moses discusses her recent suborbital ride aboard SpaceShipTwo for the first inflight assessment of the passenger cabin.
Mar 07, 2019
MD Helicopters will fight for FARA contract; India’s milsat plans; Israel’s customized F-35 upgrades, and the end of the line for U.S. Marine Corps Prowlers.
Mar 07, 2019
Has Airbus really lived up to its potential? And is the group healthy enough today to guarantee that it will still be around 50 years from now?
Mar 06, 2019
Despite cancellation of Google X Prize, Israeli nonprofit aiming for April touchdown on the Moon.
Mar 04, 2019
To support its efforts to empower and encourage youth to take an interest in space science, The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has launched the ‘Science in Space’ competition, in coordination with NanoRacks LLC.
Mar 01, 2019
Virgin Galactic targets assured repeatability as test focus expands beyond envelope expansion to include cabin environment and ride quality.
Mar 01, 2019
As NASA gears up for first U.S. human spaceflights since 2011, a training tool from the ‘60s is back in vogue.