Entertainment Internet

Google Has A Hidden Easter Egg For NASA's Mars Helicopter: Here's How To Find It

NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter flying Artsiom P/Shutterstock
By Rahul Srinivas/

NASA's Mars helicopter, also known as "Ingenuity," has been on the surface of Mars since it arrived as part of the Mars 2020 Mission, including the Perseverance Rover. The diminutive aircraft made history in April 2021 when it became the first to perform a powered flight on a planet other than Earth. Dubbed a Wright Brothers moment for another world, the event garnered global attention, splashed across headlines, and sparked awe on social media. Interestingly, not just the general populace was in awe of the little copter and its achievements. It turns out the software engineers at Google were so enamored they went around creating an entire Easter egg centered around Ingenuity.

Unsurprisingly, this Easter egg can be invoked whenever a Google user asks the search giant about the helicopter. All you need to do is type in either "NASA Mars helicopter" or "Ingenuity" on Google Search. On the search results page, you will see a miniaturized animation of the helicopter, as if it's ready for takeoff.

The real magic happens once you click the animation. Once you do that, the search results page suddenly turns into a hue of red, with images of the Martian landscape appearing in the background. The Ingenuity also "takes off" from its resting place and hovers all over the page. You can make the rover land by pressing the X icon at the top of the page.

Note that this trick is platform-agnostic and works on all kinds of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers.

NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter and its remarkable journey

Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars Artsiom P/Shutterstock

Now that you've uncovered Google's hidden Easter egg let's delve into the fascinating world of NASA's Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity. After a series of checks and diagnostics, Ingenuity made its first powered flight above the Martian surface on April 19, 2021.

Since its deployment, Ingenuity has embarked on a series of test flights, showcasing its capabilities in the thin Martian atmosphere. The copter's primary mission is to assist the Perseverance Rover by scouting and providing valuable data on potential scientific points of interest.

Originally planned for anywhere between one to five flights, Ingenuity has far exceeded its operational objectives. As of January 2024, Ingenuity has performed 69 flights, and additional flights are scheduled in the future. The aircraft was also recently in the news after it set a new distance record on Mars by flying 2,315 feet (705 meters) during its 69th flight.

Ingenuity did give NASA a bit of a scare in 2023 after NASA lost contact with the craft while performing its 52nd flight. The helicopter remained uncontactable for well over two months (63 days, to be precise) before NASA finally reconnected with the aircraft when the Perseverance Rover moved closer to it.

Recommended