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 13, 2016
The U.S. missed several opportunities over almost 70 years to expand hypersonics into research and development of operational systems.
Dec 13, 2016
Aviation Week's Editor-in-Chief had his first exchange with John Glenn when he was 12 years old. The topic: Air Force One.
Dec 12, 2016
Space industry leaders argue that future development in the space sector will be built on ever-increasing international partnerships and deeper collaboration between nations.
Dec 12, 2016
The UAE Space Agency has issued the national space sector policy.
Dec 09, 2016
In 1962, John Glenn wrote a detailed pilot report for Aviation Week after his historic and harrowing flight in Mercury’s Friendship 7.
Dec 09, 2016
America’s aerospace trade association said it is preparing for a “challenging” policy arena in both Washington and around the world.
Dec 07, 2016
A top NASA administrator discusses the U.S. space program at what may be an ‘inflection point’ between the old and the new ways of doing things.
Dec 07, 2016
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is hearing that life-support technology remains a question mark in NASA’s exploration plans.