Flying a Helicopter on Mars - Livestream

On April 19, 2021, for the first time, humanity flew an aircraft on another planet. The vehicle was the Ingenuity helicopter. This 1.8 kg drone lifted up 3 m above the surface of Mars and flew for 39 seconds. Since then, it has flown 29 more times, flying for as long as 169 1/2 seconds, as far as 704 m, and as high up as 12 m at a maximum ground speed of 5.5 m/s or about 12 mph.

How was this remarkable accomplishment achieved? How difficult is it to fly a drone in an atmosphere that is 1/100 as thick as that at the earth surface? What were the unforeseen technical difficulties that were overcome? And last, but certainly not least, what sort of opportunities does this technology raise for the exploration of Mars?

To find the answers to these questions and to hear the remarkable story of how this drone was developed and to what use it and it’s future brethren will be put to, Eastbay Astronomical Society invites you to hear Theodore Tzanetos, Ingenuity‘s team lead.

Watch the lecture here.