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
Dec 19, 2018
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Though China surpassed the U.S. launch rate in 2018, private U.S. “new space” companies are ramping up activity.
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Dec 17, 2018
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Unity’s Dec. 13 flight marked its fourth rocket-powered test and the first to achieve the goal of exo-atmospheric flight set by Richard Branson 14 years ago.
Dec 12, 2018
NASA seeks industry input on the potential for an electrified aircraft propulsion X-plane demonstrator.