BBC News Mars: Nasa helicopter 'Ingenuity' flight a success Close Nasa has confirmed that this small helicopter has made history by becoming the first to successfully fly on another planet. Ingenuity is a 1.8kg (4lb) helicopter that travelled to Mars inside Nasa's Perseverance rover, which landed in February 2021. Flying on the Red Planet isn't straightforward - as BBC science reporter Laura Foster and Nasa systems engineer Farah Alibay explain. Video by Laura Foster