No Earlier Than April 8, 2021 -- But We Will Fly A Helicopter, On Mars...

It is a six elapsed Sol process (six days, on Mars) just to prep the Ingenuity copter for its maiden flight -- and every step has never been attempted, in situ on Barsoom before. So it is white knuckle time, all the way to April 8, now (kinda' like March Madness, for Loyola!):

. . .NASA is targeting no earlier than April 8 for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to make the first attempt at powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. Before the 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) rotorcraft can attempt its first flight, however, both it and its team must meet a series of daunting milestones.

Ingenuity remains attached to the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars Feb. 18. On March 21, the rover deployed the guitar case-shaped graphite composite debris shield that protected Ingenuity during landing. The rover currently is in transit to the “airfield” where Ingenuity will attempt to fly. Once deployed, Ingenuity will have 30 Martian days, or sols, (31 Earth days) to conduct its test flight campaign. . . .

Now you know. Onward. Ever. . . onward.

नमस्ते