Ingenuity helicopter flight stalled for first time due to unusual Mars weather

The Ingenuity helicopter, which was slated to take to Martian skies on January 5, had to push its 19th flight back because of an unusually strong regional dust storm on Mars, according to NASA.

The Ingenuity helicopter, which was slated to take to Martian skies on January 5, had to push its 19th flight back because of an unusually strong regional dust storm on Mars, according to NASA.

Now, the team anticipates that this flight will take place on Sunday, January 23.

While Mars is smaller and has a less dense atmosphere than Earth, the red planet still experiences the changing of the seasons and high winds, dust storms and ice clouds.

Orbiters circling the planet and instruments aboard missions like the Perseverance rover and InSight lander are helping scientists to better understand weather on Mars, but much like the uncertainty factor that meteorologists experience on Earth, forecasting weather on another planet is even more difficult.