Overview

• The concept unveiled July 25 by AeroVironment and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory would deploy six autonomous helicopters to Mars, with a target launch in 2028.
• Under the “Skyfall maneuver,” a single entry module would release the rotorcraft during atmospheric descent, enabling each to land under its own power without a dedicated lander.
• The helicopters would conduct rapid aerial surveys to identify scientifically valuable sites, map landing hazards and locate subsurface water ice for future robotic and crewed missions.
• AeroVironment has allocated internal resources to develop the rotorcraft while formal NASA funding for Skyfall remains pending.
• Engineers plan to reuse avionics, flight software and modeling techniques from the Ingenuity demonstrator to accelerate Skyfall development.