You can’t go to Mars (yet), but a new NASA 3D video of the Ingenuity helicopter’s dramatic third flight will make you feel like you’re there. To get the full effect, you’ll need some old-fashioned red and blue 3D glasses.
The footage comes from the Perseverance rover’s mast-mounted camera system, which witnessed the April 25 flight. “Seeing the sequence is a bit like standing on the Martian surface next to Perseverance and watching the flight firsthand,” NASA said in a statement last week.
If you don’t have a pair of 3D glasses from the last time you saw Creature from the Black Lagoon, you can make your own by following NASA’s instructions. You’ll need to have some red and cyan cellophane sheets handy and be able to print the template on card stock or similarly stiff paper.
The wildly successful Ingenuity technology demonstration proved that powered, controlled flight on Mars is possible. Last week, the rotorcraft completed its first one-way trip across Mars, and the mission is now moving into a new demonstration phase.
With the 3D video, you can enjoy the journey in a new, more immersive way. There is no soundtrack for this flight, but you can always listen to Perseverance’s recording of the chopper’s gentle hum from its fourth flight. These are the sights and sounds of science working beautifully on another planet.
READ MORE: An Interactive Map Shows Exactly Where NASA’s Rover Perseverance Is
