The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and launched aboard the Perseverance rover, is set to take flight this week for the first controlled exploration of the Red Planet.
Data from the first flight is expected to return to Earth a few hours following the autonomous flight, with a live stream to cover the historic event, scheduled for Monday at 6:15am EDT (8:15pm AEST).
The helicopter team will receive the data downlink in the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
If the rotorcraft lands successfully and remains operable, up to four more flights could be attempted.
