Ingenuity Helicopter Controlled by Qualcomm Chip Makes Historic 39-Second Flight on Mars
By Chris Jennewein
Apr 23, 2021 9:00 AM ET
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![Ingenuity photographed its shadow while hovering over Mars. Courtesy NASA/JPL](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_2x/public/images/Ingenuity-Shadow-on-Mars.jpeg)
Originally published by the Times of San Diego
The four-pound Ingenuity helicopter controlled by a Qualcomm smartphone chip made the first flight on another planet Monday, climbing to 10 feet above Mars and hovering for 30 seconds before landing.
The solar-powered helicopter took off at 12:34 a.m. Pacific time and logged a total of 39.1 seconds of flight in the thin, cold Martian atmosphere. The successful flight was confirmed when data and images were received approximately three hours later.