NASA announced today that its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. The solar-powered helicopter flew autonomously due to the time it takes for data to travel between Mars and Earth. The flight comes amid NASA’s latest Mars mission, which began with the Perseverance Rover landing in February.
Extra: Separately, NASA selected SpaceX to develop the first commercial “human lander” that will carry the next two Americans on the moon. The contract (part of NASA’s Artemis program) is valued at nearly $3B.
The New Paper
This story is from the April 19, 2021 edition of The New Paper – a clear, concise daily briefing that makes fact-first news easy to consume. Try it today.
