NASA Ingenuity Helicopter Prepares For First Flight

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced the date it hopes its Ingenuity Mars helicopters will be able to make their first attempt at a controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet.

Ingenuity has been attached to the underside of the Perseverance rover since it landed on the planet on 18 February.

The rover removed the shield which had protected the helicopter on Sunday during landing and it is now in transit to an area designed as an “airfield” where Ingenuity will attempt its first flight.

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NASA said it is aiming for the flight to take place "no earlier than April 8".

Once the mission has begun, the team will have 30 Martian days, or sols, to complete the flight.

"As with everything with the helicopter, this type of deployment has never been done before," said Farah Alibay, Mars Helicopter integration lead for the Perseverance rover.

"Once we start the deployment there is no turning back. All activities are closely coordinated, irreversible, and dependent on each other.