NASA discusses Mars mission, helicopter

NASA gave a preview Tuesday of how they hope their Mars helicopter named Ingenuity will deploy from the the rover resting on the surface of Mars and fly in the planet's thin atmosphere.

"We're here today to celebrate a great engineering achievement that required hard work, perseverance and above all ingenuity. The Perseverance rover carries with it the most advanced suite of science instruments we've ever sent to Mars as well as several technology demonstrations including the Ingenuity helicopter," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division.

During the briefing Tuesday, animations were shown depicting the helicopter launching into the Martian sky and flying in a path above the surface.

Ingenuity's test flights are expected to begin no earlier than the first week of April.