NASA has not outlined any concrete plans to launch new landers or rovers to Mars for the first time in over three decades. Its near‑term emphasis on the Red Planet now centers on aerial drones, a novel exploration method that became feasible only recently.
The inaugural scientific deployment of drones on Mars will be the SkyFall mission, comprising a trio of helicopters slated for launch no earlier than late 2028. These helicopters will travel aboard NASA’s Space Reactor‑1 “Freedom” mission, whose primary goal is to demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion in deep‑space environments.
The launch timetable for SR‑1 Freedom and SkyFall is ambitious, programs that were not part of NASA’s portfolio just six months ago. The SR‑1 Freedom mission, projected to cost $2.1 billion, proposes converting the core module of the cancelled Gateway lunar station into a testbed for nuclear electric propulsion. SkyFall will expand on the achievements of the Ingenuity helicopter, which in 2021 became the first rotorcraft to achieve powered flight on another planet.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has partnered with AeroVironment, a high‑altitude drone developer, to design and construct the three SkyFall helicopters and an additional spare unit. This team also engineered the Ingenuity helicopter that accompanied the Perseverance rover to Mars five years ago.
Development underway
AeroVironment disclosed last week that JPL has awarded it a contract to co‑design and co‑manufacture the three SkyFall helicopters, plus a spare. Ingenuity completed 72 flights before its crash landing in early 2024, well beyond the original five‑flight objective. Building on the Ingenuity design, the new SkyFall helicopters will be slightly larger—approximately 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) versus 1.8 kg (4 lb)—and will feature reinforced rotors to accommodate a greater payload.
Mars helicopters can be manufactured as a repeatable product line rather than a one‑off delivery,” said Jeff Rodrian, head of AeroVironment’s MacCready Works division, the company’s advanced research and development organization.
AeroVironment will handle the helicopters’ rotor systems, airframes, structures, avionics integration, and provision for scientific payloads, as stated in its press release. JPL will be responsible for the power system, electronics, algorithms, software, and a ground‑penetrating radar to detect shallow subsurface ice on Mars. Each helicopter will also be equipped with a suite of cameras and sensors to collect atmospheric data on the Martian surface.