4th flight fizzles for NASA's Mars helicopter, retry Friday

NASA's Mars helicopter fizzled on its fourth flight attempt after three successes

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA’s Mars helicopter fizzled Thursday on its fourth flight attempt. The 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) helicopter named Ingenuity was supposed to lift off on its longest, fastest flight yet, after three successes. But the chopper remained on the ground. Flight controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California will attempt a redo on Friday. Ingenuity’s took flight for the first time at Mars on April 19 — becoming the first powered aircraft to soar at another planet — after controllers fixed a software error.