Ingenuity Helicopter: The First Flight on Mars On April 19, 2021 , NASA made history by conducting the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. The Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, became the first aircraft to fly on Mars, paving the way for future exploration and scientific discoveries. Ingenuity is a small, lightweight helicopter that was developed specifically for the Mars 2020 mission. It weighs just 1.8 kilograms and is equipped with four carbon fiber blades that rotate in opposite directions at over 2,500 rotations per minute. The helicopter is powered by a solar panel, which charges a set of lithium-ion batteries that provide power to the aircraft's electronics and motors. The helicopter was attached to the belly of the Mars Perseverance rover during its journey to Mars. After the rover landed in Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, the team began preparations to deploy Ingenuity. This involved a series of tests to ensure that the helicopter had survived the journey