NASA tests SkyFall antenna for 2028 Mars helicopter mission

An antenna for NASA's SkyFall mission underwent testing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on August 6, 2026. The test took place in the Environmental Test Lab's electromagnetic interference testing chamber in Southern California.

SkyFall ground-penetrating radar engineer Maya Román connected a coaxial cable to the test antenna during the procedure. The antenna was pointed upward to minimize reflections and interferences with the antenna pattern during the measurement.

The SkyFall mission involves three aircraft, each equipped with four instruments. These aircraft will follow in the footsteps of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which completed 72 flights over nearly three years, demonstrating that powered, controlled flight is possible in the thin Martian atmosphere. Ingenuity also showed how an aerial perspective can generate valuable data by helping the Perseverance Mars rover team plan time-saving routes and choose locations for science gathering.

According to NASA, SkyFall is expected to launch aboard the Space Reactor-1 Freedom in late 2028. The mission aims to build on the aerial exploration capabilities proven by Ingenuity.

The antenna testing is a step toward ensuring the ground-penetrating radar will function properly once the aircraft reach Mars. The SkyFall mission is designed to expand the use of aerial vehicles for scientific data collection on the Red Planet.