NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter took flight on Mars for the first time on Monday – and the Perseverance rover captured the entire feat in sharp video.
The rover, which transported Ingenuity nearly 300 million miles to Mars, perched on a lookout 64 meters (211 feet) and watched the historic flight unfold at 3:34 a.m. ET.
NASA has now released even higher resolution video of the entire event using cameras from Perseverance, where it is possible to see the rotation, takeoff, flight, and then landing of Ingenuity with incredible detail. A truly phenomenal and historic achievement for the team.
“We have been thinking for so long about having our Wright brothers moment on Mars, and here it is,” Ingenuity project manager MiMi Aung, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. “We will take a moment to celebrate our success and then take a cue from Orville and Wilbur regarding what to do next. History shows they got back to work – to learn as much as they could about their new aircraft – and so will we.”
