January 1, 2025

/ 10:05 a.m. CT (1605 GMT)

Rover, rotorcraft and roses

: NASA's efforts to explore Mars, including the first helicopter to achieve powered flight on another planet, made for the "Best Day Ever" aboard a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day 2025 (Jan. 1). Created by La Cañada Flintridge, the California city where JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) is located, the "Rover Rendezvous" float featured numerous nods to real missions, including a flying Ingenuity rotorcraft.