One sol equals one solar day on Mars—and that’s about 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds in Earth time. April 4 was officially “Sol 43” since NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on the fourth planet from the sun—and on that day, the drone rotorcraft Ingenuity separated from its mother ship, making the small leap to the surface of Mars where it prepares for a milestone in flight.
Ingenuity Prepares for First Flight on Mars
Key Takeaways:
- NASA's Ingenuity drone separated from the Perseverance rover on Mars (Sol 43, April 4) and is preparing for the first human-engineered flight on another planet.
- Dubbed a "Wright Brothers Moment," this historic flight will test technologies crucial for future Mars missions, including potential human flight.
- Ingenuity's mission is part of the Perseverance program, which launched in 2020 to search for signs of ancient microbial life and habitable conditions on Mars.
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