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
Jul 04, 2015
The UAE Space Agency continued its efforts to strengthen international strategic partnerships, including improving the UAE's role and place within the international space sector, by organising an official Agency visit to the United States.
Jul 03, 2015
A roundup of this week's top stories you may have missed in aerospace and defense.
Jul 03, 2015
"Everything went by the book," noted Rob Navias, a NASA public affairs officer who monitored Friday's Progress 60 launching from the agency's Mission Control Center in Houston. "A flawless ride to orbit."
Jul 02, 2015
Lapse in Ex-Im bank assistance could hurt Boeing in the long term, and the general aviation community sooner; Former NASA chief provides another perspective on SpaceX’s commercial viability.
Jul 02, 2015
What will happen when New Horizons hurtles past the icy dwarf planet and its five moons on July 14?
Jul 02, 2015
New Horizons probe flyby of Pluto, almost 15 years in the making, had to overcome both technical and bureaucratic challenges.
Jul 02, 2015
New Horizons has a long trajectory and it is not over yet.
Jul 02, 2015
New Horizons expects successful transmission of data collected at Pluto back to Earth, but space debris could create problems.