Nasa’s Mars helicopter in first powered, controlled flight on another planet

Ingenuity successfully takes flight, hovering at height of about 3 metres before touching back down

Nasa is celebrating the first powered, controlled flight on another planet after its Ingenuity helicopter rose into the Martian sky, hovered for a moment, then gently returned to the dusty surface.

The robotic craft climbed to an altitude of about 3 metres on its maiden flight on Monday morning, having hitched a ride to Mars with Nasa's Perseverance rover, which touched down in February on a mission to search for signs of life.