Jezero Crater, Mars. NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter (known to friends as Ginny) completes its first automated flight. This is a first in spaceflight history. And it opens up previously unimaginable possibilities for the exploration of atmospheric worlds. The sky is NOT the limit. The atmospheric density on Mars is only 1% that of Earth. The blades must spin at 2,800 rpm (on Earth, helicopters have blades that spin at 400 to 500 rpm). The Ingenuity helicopter also carries a small sample of material from the lower left wing of the Wright Brothers Flyer 1, which made the first powered flight in history on December 17, 1903.
