This morning was the first flight of the Ingenuity helicopter which took off, climbed, hovered, descended, and landed successfully on the surface of Mars.  The flight was only to an altitude of 10 feet and lasted just over 20 seconds - as planned.  Later flights will be more involved.  The helicopter has to operate completely under it's own control because of the long time required to get radio signals back and forth from Mars to Earth.  The video was captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover which was 211 feet away from Ingenuity for the first flight.


https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/ ... licopter-in-flight/

Awesome,   Thanks for sharing.

On earth a 20 second flight, 10 feet altitude is nothing.  However on Mars, with it's different gravitational pull, atmosphere, climate, etc, that is phenomenal.  Can't wait to see what they have planned for future flights.  

I'm wondering how they got the overhead shot ?

Exactly!  Only about 1% of the atmosphere, so getting any aircraft to fly is amazing.  Keep in mind that a 20 second flight to 10 feet was longer and higher than the Wright flyer's first controlled flight.  Although the Wright Flyer did go farther.  However Ingenuity traveled a lot farther to get to the take off location!

Now here's an entertaining piece of trivia.  The Wright brothers first controlled powered flight was 17 Dec. 1903 - my wife's birthday (many years later).  Ingenuity made it's first flight on Mars on 19 April 2021 - my birthday (many years earlier).

DroneJunkieQc Posted at 4-20 06:38
I'm wondering how they got the overhead shot ?

If you are referring to the still photo that was published, that was taken by Ingenuity looking at it's shadow on the ground.

K6CCC Posted at 4-20 07:02
If you are referring to the still photo that was published, that was taken by Ingenuity looking at it's shadow on the ground.

No I saw the take off and there was a top view of the lift off.must of been some reddit crap.

DroneJunkieQc Posted at 4-20 07:04
No I saw the take off and there was a top view of the lift off.

Post a link.  The only video was the view from the Perseverance rover (211 feet away).

K6CCC Posted at 4-20 07:10
Post a link.  The only video was the view from the Perseverance rover (211 feet away).

I saw this morning on reddit. Must have been fake.

DroneJunkieQc Posted at 4-20 07:11
I saw this morning on reddit. Must have been fake.

May also have been a simulation.

K6CCC Posted at 4-20 07:25
May also have been a simulation.

Could be ..

Very cool!

DJI going to Mars one day!

Fantastic !!  I wonder what the the Future looks like if we could do this

Ingenuity was only a technology demonstrator that they were hoping would be able to make five flights.  Well, that little helicopter had better ideas.  Over the last 33 months, Ingenuity made 72 flights in the very thin Martian atmosphere and was used for scouting locations and routes for NASA’s Perseverance rover.  Unfortunately on the 72nd flight one of the rotor blades broke - ending the useful life of Ingenuity

Ingenuity, you did very well!

NASA's announcement:  

All interesting stuff-amazing