NASA’s Ingenuity aircraft, the first one to fly to another planet, has a new honor: its replica, created out of flowers, took to the air during the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California. This unique exhibit, decorated with over 35,000 flowers, was part of the Rover Rendezvous platform that celebrated the achievements of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The platform was developed by the City of La Cañada Flintridge, where NASA and California Institute of Technology facilities are located. The design takes viewers on a journey to Mars, depicting an astronaut traveling with alien friends on a stylized Curiosity and Perseverance rover. The volunteers who worked on the project created all the elements by hand, which emphasizes their commitment to innovation and creativity. The platform was also adorned with NASA mission patches made of flowers, specifically Viking, Pathfinder and Perseverance.
The Ingenuity replica took to the air thanks to drones operated by two pilots. This success was made possible by the involvement of AeroVironment, who helped create the real Ingenuity as well. “This is a great opportunity to showcase Mars exploration,” said Earl Cox, the company’s chief engineer.
The real Ingenuity made 72 missions to Mars, performing exploration missions for the Perseverance rover. It began as a demonstration project, but quickly became an important tool for scientific research. The vehicle was damaged in January 2024, ending its mission 22 months after its historic first flight.
The Rover Rendezvous platform was also the greenest on parade, thanks to the use of an electric motor and batteries instead of traditional internal combustion engines. The parade also featured another space platform, Chasing Our Dreams by Odd Fellows & Rebekahs, which depicted an astronaut riding a rocket through outer space to the stars.
The Tournament of Roses parade has a rich history of representing the theme of space. In 2013, the parade featured a floral model of the Endeavour shuttle, and in 2009, a rose that had been to space.
JPL previously built platforms with the Viking rover in 1976 and the Spitzer telescope in 2005, highlighting its long involvement in celebrating the achievements of space exploration.
We previously reported on how the successor to the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars would have six rotors.
According to Space
