NASA/JPL-CALTECH IMAGE


Mars Helicopter Forges WATCH


How NASA/ JPL Did It


By Paul Koscak O 40 ROTOR JUNE 2021


N APR. 19, 2021, THE HELICOPTER Ingenuity completed the first powered controlled flight on a planet other than Earth when it lifted off the surface of Mars. Te historic achievement proves what fearless engineering, inventive


designs, and groundbreaking materials can achieve. But the feat is another example of how rotorcraft can be the right ship for the right mission, on Earth and in space, as well. During its debut flight that April, Ingenuity, also known as the Mars Helicopter, smoothly rose 10 ft., hovered, and


then gently lowered its four legs back on the planet’s rust- hued soil. More-ambitious flights followed shortly after. “Truly a milestone in the history of aviation” is how Jim


Viola, HAI president and CEO, describes the event. “I look forward to seeing the kind of applications that industry can devise for a helicopter that’s capable of flight at 100,000 ft. here on Earth.” Now that Ingenuity has provided proof of concept, future


Mars rotorcraft will prove their worth by closing the gap between orbiters and rovers and exploiting the inherent advantages of aviation in the exploration of Mars.


New Frontiers Ingenuity more than lives up to its name, in accomplishments, design, and promise for the future of rotorcraft on Earth—and beyond.


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