Ingenuity proved that it is possible to fly on a distant planet. This helicopter took off from the surface of Mars, completed its first flight, and landed safely. CNN reports NASA confirmed that the first powered, controlled flight on another planet had become a reality. The helicopter rode piggyback on the Perseverance rover and arrived at the Red Planet on February 18. Its first attempt to take off did not materialize.

Ground control of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, had to make some minor adjustments for the flight to happen finally.

The success goes to the team of dedicated scientists who depended on a combination of Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and renewable energy to deliver the goods. Even though Ingenuity is physically millions of miles away from Earth, it is under the remote control of NASA.

Ingenuity flew through the thin atmosphere of Mars on its own

It was a great moment for the American Space Agency NASA. The credit for the first flight of a helicopter on an alien planet goes to this agency. CNN mentions a few hiccups. The original flight plan was for April 11. However, some technical issues had to be resolved. Subsequently, the ground team received confirmation on April 16 about the successful completion of the rapid spin test of its rotors.

The result was a successful flight by Ingenuity through the thin atmosphere of Mars on its own. It was a great moment for NASA. As MiMi Aung, Ingenuity project manager at JPL, says - "We can now say that human beings have flown a rotorcraft on another planet. We've been talking about our Wright brothers' moment on another planet for so long.

And now, here it is." NASA created history on Mars with its Ingenuity helicopter.

The name of the first airfield on Mars will be Wright Brothers Field

The flight of the helicopter on Mars was flawless. That is the opinion of Håvard Grip, NASA's chief pilot for the Ingenuity helicopter. The airfield from where it took to the air will get a name.

It will be Wright Brothers Field. This would be appropriate because it would link the two landmarks in air travel.

Flying a helicopter on Mars could be a stepping-stone to the colonization of the planet at a later date. This is already on the agenda of NASA as a part of its Artemis program. CNN adds the first powered, controlled flight on Earth was near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. That was when the Wright Brothers Orville and Wilbur flew for the first time on Earth. Ingenuity has done something similar. It flew for the first time on the Red Planet and will fly again after recharging its solar cells. There are four more flights planned over the coming weeks.

Mars is now waiting for Ingenuity to open up new horizons in space travel.

NASA has another first - it was the first to put a man on the Moon more than half a century back. He was Neil Armstrong, and the date was July 20, 1969.

Ingenuity flew for 40 seconds on Mars, from take-off to landing

According to The BBC, it was a moment of rejoicing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL of NASA in Pasadena, California, when the helicopter Ingenuity flew on Mars for less than a minute. NASA has always been at the forefront of activities connected with space research.

The American Space Agency describes the flight of Ingenuity as the first powered, controlled flight by an aircraft on another world. The agency promises more flights in the days ahead. Engineers want to see it fly higher and further to test the limits of the technology.

Incidentally, countries like China and the UAE have their missions related to Mars. Details of their plans are unknown, but they could be trying to assess the extent and nature of natural resources available on the planet.