Skyfall Mars helicopter fleet to scout future astronaut landing sites
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 25, 2025
Skyfall, a forward-looking Mars helicopter concept developed by AeroVironment (AV) in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), aims to support future human exploration of the Red Planet by 2028. The system features a fleet of six autonomous scout helicopters designed to explore potential astronaut landing zones.
Each rotorcraft would operate independently, capturing high-resolution surface imagery and subsurface radar data. This reconnaissance will guide the selection of safe, resource-rich landing sites with access to water, ice, and other key materials for human missions. The information gathered could also contribute to the ongoing search for signs of past life on Mars.
A key innovation of the concept is the so-called “Skyfall Maneuver,” a novel approach to atmospheric entry and descent. Instead of landing via a traditional platform, the helicopters would deploy during the descent phase and use their own propulsion to reach the Martian surface, eliminating the need for costly and risky lander systems.
Skyfall leverages experience from the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter program, co-developed by AV and JPL. Ingenuity completed 72 successful flights at Jezero Crater-over 14 times its expected flight target and 32 times its intended lifespan-demonstrating aerial mobility and data collection capabilities in Mars’ thin atmosphere.
“Skyfall offers a revolutionary new approach to Mars exploration that is faster and more affordable than anything that’s come before it,” said William Pomerantz, Head of Space Ventures at AV. “Thanks to a true partnership between industry and government, we’re expanding the unprecedented success of Ingenuity. With six helicopters, Skyfall offers a low-cost solution that multiplies the range we would cover, the data we would collect, and the scientific research we would conduct-making humanity’s first footprints on Mars meaningfully closer.”
The new concept incorporates lightweight aircraft structures, advanced avionics, and flight software derived from Ingenuity. JPL will transfer select technologies to AV, helping commercialize proven tools and accelerate readiness.
“Ingenuity established the United States as the first and only country to achieve powered flight on another planet. Skyfall builds on that promise, providing detailed, actionable data from an aerial perspective that will not only be of use planning for future crewed missions, but can also benefit the planetary science community in their search for evidence that life once existed on Mars,” said Trace Stevenson, President of Autonomous Systems at AV.
Skyfall is part of the broader AV_Space portfolio, which includes ISR, space communications, and space operations. AV also develops advanced laser communication terminals, phased array antennas, and SATCOM systems to support secure, high-speed data links and mission command.
AV has already initiated internal development and coordination with NASA JPL to enable a possible Mars launch during the 2028 planetary alignment window.
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