The Red Planet rotorcraft will shift focus from proving flight is possible on Mars to demonstrating flight operations that future aerial craft could utilize.

A livestream will begin at 3:15 a.m. PDT that morning as the helicopter team prepares to receive the data downlink at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Now uncocooned from its protective carbon-fiber shield, the helicopter is being readied for its next steps.

The first trek of the agency’s largest, most advanced rover yet on the Red Planet marks a major milestone before science operations get under way.

The award moves NASA and ESA a step closer to realizing Mars Sample Return, an ambitious planetary exploration program that will build upon decades of science, knowledge, and experience.

Mission team members are participating in a virtual teleconference to discuss milestones achieved so far since the Feb. 18 landing and those to come.