Ingenuity was developed at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) in Pasadena, California, and it’s an engineering marvel. Even though NASA does not label the unmanned craft as a drone or UAV, it fits the bill: it flies independently of human interaction, is electrically powered, and uses blades to generate lift. The exact specs are fascinating given the fact that Mars’ atmosphere has about 1% the density of Earth’s, which means the ratio of blade surface to weight is enormous. The rover weighs 4 lbs or 1.8 Kg (which translates to 1.6 lbs on Mars) and the wingspan of the blades is 4 ft. The two blades counter rotate to eliminate torque at 2,400 revolutions per minute (RPM), creating the necessary lift to counter the weight of the vehicle and fly.