NASA to Attempt First Controlled Flight on Mars As Soon As Monday
The public is invited to watch as the helicopter team receives the data downlink at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA is targeting no earlier than Monday, April 19, for the first flight of itsIngenuityMars Helicopter at approximately 3:30 a.m. EDT (12:30 a.m. PDT).Data from the first flight will return to Earth a few hours following the autonomous flight. A livestream will begin at 6:15 a.m. EDT (3:15 a.m. PDT) as the helicopter team prepares to receive the data downlink in the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Watch on NASA Television, the agencyapp,website, and social media platforms, includingYouTubeandFacebook.Get the Latest JPL NewsSUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTERIf the flight takes place April 19, a postflight briefing will be held at 2 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. PDT).The participants are:Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission DirectorateMichael Watkins, JPL directorMiMi Aung, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager at JPLBob Balaram, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter chief engineer at JPLHåvard Grip, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter chief pilot at JPLJustin Maki, Perseverance Mars rover imaging scientist and deputy principal investigator of Mastcam-Z instrument at JPLThe public also may ask questions on social media during the livestream and briefing using #MarsHelicopter.Find the latest schedule updates at:https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/#Watch-OnlineThe original flight date of April 11 shifted as engineers worked on preflight checks and a solution to acommand sequence issue. The rover will provide support during flight operations, taking images, collecting environmental data, and hosting the base station that enables the helicopter to communicate with mission controllers on Earth.This technology demonstration is supported by NASA’s Science, Aeronautics Research, and Space Technology mission directorates. JPL, managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations for Ingenuity and the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.Follow Ingenuity via the@NASA,@NASAJPL, and@NASAMarsTwitter accounts;NASAandNASAPersevereFacebook accounts; andNASAInstagram account.An Ingenuity press kit is available at:https://go.nasa.gov/ingenuity-press-kit