NASA has its sights set on a daring new mission to the Red Planet—sending helicopters to scout Mars and identify the most promising sites for future human landings.
For the past 18 months, Mars has been without an active aircraft. Ingenuity, the small experimental Mars helicopter that arrived alongside the Perseverance rover, wrapped up its remarkable run after 72 flights in three years. With a broken blade, it ended a mission that exceeded nearly everyone’s expectations.
Now, NASA is preparing the next chapter: a project called Skyfall. The concept is straightforward yet revolutionary—deploying six drones to fan out across the Martian surface and search for locations that could one day host astronauts.
Martian paratroopers dropped into the atmosphere
The mission’s originality lies in how these aircraft would arrive. Instead of relying on a rover and fixed landing platform, the helicopters would be released directly into Mars’ thin air—like a squad of paratroopers.
An orbiter would drop a capsule into the atmosphere. At a set altitude, the capsule would open, releasing the helicopters safely and at lower cost.
Introducing Skyfall: A potential mission concept for next-generation Mars helicopters and Mars exploration. © AV
From there, the adventure would begin. Each drone would fly independently, capturing high-resolution images and radar data to probe the Martian subsurface. Ideally, they could even detect areas rich in water, ice, or other valuable resources.
This data would guide scientists in selecting safe landing zones and plotting potential rover routes for upcoming missions.
Preparing for the arrival of human explorers
The project is being built in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and AeroVironment, a Virginia-based company known for its drone expertise. AeroVironment previously partnered with NASA in the 1990s to design Pathfinder, a solar-powered experimental aircraft.
“With six helicopters, Skyfall will give us a low-cost solution that expands our coverage, boosts the data we gather, and multiplies the science we can perform,” said William Pomerantz, AeroVironment’s head of space systems. “It will bring humanity’s first step on Mars significantly closer.”
The mission will prepare for the arrival of human astronauts. © Pitris, iStock
The timeline is ambitious. A 2028 launch has already been floated—an optimal year for Mars travel due to planetary alignment—though the date remains tentative. Still, the technical barriers appear less daunting than one might think.
Ingenuity already blazed the trail, showing that flight on Mars was not only possible but more effective than expected. Early doubts centered on the planet’s thin atmosphere, which forces blades to spin much faster than on Earth. But those fears were put to rest by Ingenuity’s unprecedented success.
Hugo Ruher
Science journalist
Science journalist, I am above all passionate about space, which is what inspired me to pursue this specialty. Drawn to science in general, I also closely follow news related to the environment and technology.
After earning a degree from Sciences Po Toulouse, I began working in radio, covering general news, international issues, and even local problems. At the same time, I started a career as a science journalist, first focusing on space and later on environmental topics.
Making complex information simple
A large part of my work involves reading scientific studies published in various journals, texts that are often complex or downright indigestible! My goal is to extract information from them and make it accessible to a broader, non-expert audience. This ambition is what truly drives me.
This path has led me to write for teen magazines like Cosinus, highly specialized publications such as Industrie & Technologies, as well as more mainstream outlets like Numerama or Le Monde.
In addition to that, I also sometimes write about topics that are a bit more “lightweight.” The digital world, ranging from the use of social media to AI, and even the culture around video games—are areas that I find fascinating and worth covering with a serious approach.
