NASA has unveiled plans for the SkyFall project, an upcoming mission featuring three specialized helicopters tasked with gathering scientific data on the Martian surface. Scheduled for a late 2028 launch, the mission will utilize the Space Reactor-1 Freedom to transport the aircraft to the Red Planet.
Each of the three helicopters will be outfitted with four distinct instruments. The craft are designed to utilize antennas to transmit green frequency waves for subsurface radar analysis, while red beams will capture near-infrared imagery of regolith and other surface geological features. This aerial data collection aims to build upon the operational legacy of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which completed 72 flights and demonstrated the viability of controlled flight in the thin Martian atmosphere.
The project is currently under the management of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). AeroVironment, based in Arlington, Virginia, has been selected to co-design and co-manufacture the helicopters, continuing a partnership that previously produced the Ingenuity rotorcraft. The overall Mars Exploration Program is overseen by JPL for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
Source: NASA
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