‘Skyfall maneuver’: NASA plans mid-air drop for 6 Mars helicopters

NASA and AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) have unveiled a new Mars exploration concept called Skyfall, which plans to deploy six autonomous scout helicopters simultaneously from a larger spacecraft during its descent through the Martian atmosphere. This "Skyfall maneuver" eliminates the need for a traditional landing platform, reducing costs and risks while dramatically increasing exploration speed and range. Scheduled for a potential launch by 2028, the mission aims to gather critical high-resolution surface images and subsurface radar data from multiple candidate landing sites, aiding the safe landing of future human missions targeted for the 2030s. Building on the success of the Ingenuity helicopter, which completed 72 flights on Mars between 2021 and 2024 and far exceeded its expected lifespan, Skyfall seeks to expand aerial exploration capabilities by deploying six helicopters that operate independently once on the surface. The data collected will not only facilitate crewed landings in resource-rich areas but also contribute to the search for past life on Mars. While