KATHMANDU, APRIL 19

NASA has received the realtime data from Mars confirming that the helicopter 'Ingenuity' has successfully taken the first ever powered, controlled flight in another planet.

It tweeted, "Ingenuity has performed its first flight - the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet!"

The graph on the screen of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory team, who are working on the mission, showed a vertical rise on the line followed by a short stable movement before a decline, which indicate that the copter lifted up, hovered for a few seconds and safely descended.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory team receives the data from Mars on the first flight of Mars helicopter Ingenuity showing the flight has been successful. Photo Courtesy: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Minutes later, Perseverance sent the video of Ingenuity's flight increasing the joy of the team who have been working on this mission for over six years.

According to the plan, the flight was supposed to be about 40 seconds long. It would lift off, pivot towards the Perseverance rover, and then land. The video revealed exactly that.

"We've been talking for so long about our Wright brothers' moment. And here it is." MiMi Aung, Mars Helicopter Project Manager, with great excitement, shared her words of happiness and thanked the NASA JPL team following the news of the successful Ingenuity test flight.

The screen showing the image of Mars Helicopter Ingenuity's shadow over the Martian land as it takes the first flight on April 19, 2021. Photo: NASA JPL

Today's mission has revealed the strength and prospect for the missions in Mars that can now be dreamt of for the future.

The incredible fact about Ingenuity is that while the blades of an average helicopter on Earth rotate at a rate of 400-500 rotations per minute, the blades of Ingenuity rotate at a rate of 2,500 rotations per minute. The tiny 4-pound (1.8 kg) rotorcraft is a very powerful tool.