Ingenuity, nicknamed Ginny, is an autonomous NASA helicopter that operated on Mars from 2021 to 2024 as part of the Mars 2020 mission. The helicopter arrived on the planet attached to the underside of the Perseverance rover, which landed February 18, 2021. Ingenuity made its first flight on April 19, 2021, the first powered, controlled extraterrestrial flight by any aircraft. Originally intended to make five flights, the rotorcraft greatly exceeded expectations and made a total of 72 flights ove