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
Jun 29, 2026
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The Pentagon and Congress appear ready to dissolve the Space Development Agency and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office’s specific authorities in 2027.
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Colonizing Mars hinges on an untested assumption that humans can reproduce and thrive on another planet—raising biological and ethical risks.
Jun 17, 2026
As a recipient of Aviation Week's 20 Twenties award, Daniella Bezuidenhout is making significant contributions to the future of urban air mobility through her research on aircraft noise prediction.