Is Solana an airdrop?

Excuse me, could you please clarify something for me? I came across the term "Solana" and it's been mentioned in the context of cryptocurrency. Now, I'm a bit confused because I've heard of airdrops in the crypto world, where tokens or coins are distributed for free to promote a new project or reward community members. So, my question is, is Solana actually an airdrop? Or is it a separate cryptocurrency project altogether? I'd appreciate it if you could provide some clarification on this.