NASA's Mars Helicopter Is Carrying A Piece Of American History On Its Upcoming Flight

NASA is looking to make history this April with their Mars helicopter, dubbed "Ingenuity," as they attempt to make the first controlled flight on another planet.

When the small chopper takes flight, it will be carrying with it a significant piece of American aviation history — a small swatch of fabric from the Wright Brothers' first successful aircraft.

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The historic plane, Flyer 1, completed the first powered controlled flight on Earth on December 17, 1903, so it is only fitting that it be part of the first flight of the same kind on Mars.

The piece of fabric used by NASA is from the wing of the historic plane and is currently wrapped around a cable located underneath the helicopter's solar panel with the help of some insulated tape.

This is not the first time the space organization has taken a piece of Flyer 1 beyond our world; a piece of wood from the aircraft was taken to the moon and back on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.