Jaw-Dropping Video Shows NASA’s Plan to Deliver a Helicopter Swarm to Mars Without Landing

It’s been more than a year since the Ingenuity helicopter broke one of its blades, ending its experimental stint on Mars. On the heels of this wildly successful NASA mission, a defense contractor has introduced a new design concept to succeed the iconic Mars chopper—one that would release multiple vehicles to spread across the Martian landscape at the same time, like a coordinated swim team diving into the water.

Virginia-based AeroVironment (AV), in partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), recently revealed its Skyfall mission concept, a next-generation Mars helicopter designed to pave the way for a future human landing on the neighboring world. Skyfall would deploy six small choppers, similar to NASA’s Ingenuity, to the Red Planet using a single entry capsule, with each helicopter landing independently on the Martian surface. The mission is aiming for a launch date in 2028, according to AV.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqAuPq3_XRs[/embed]

The landing carrier would drop the six helicopters midway through its descent through the planet’s atmosphere, eliminating the need for a landing platform. Following their release from the carrier, each helicopter would land on the Martian surface under its own power. Each helicopter would quickly get to work, exploring different parts of the planet and investigating potential landing sites for a future human mission.

Operating independently, each chopper will collect high-resolution images of the surface and radar data from beneath the surface to search for potential resources on Mars. “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,” William Pomerantz, head of Space Ventures at AV, said in a statement.

Ingenuity was the first helicopter to fly on another planet, paving the way for a fleet of successors that can explore the Martian surface from above. The o.g. Mars helicopter arrived on the planet in February 2021, tucked inside the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover. Shortly afterwards, the 19-inch-tall (48-centimeter), 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) helicopter became the first powered aircraft to lift off from the surface of another planet. Although it was originally intended to perform just five test flights, Ingenuity kept on going, performing 72 flights and flying 14 times farther than planned for a total flight time of two hours.

Things came crashing down for Ingenuity last year after the helicopter broke its blades while landing for the 72nd time, officially ending its mission in January 2024. Its mission more than exceeded expectations, delivering precious data on a new method of exploring the surface of another planet and opening up a new gateway for missions to Mars and elsewhere. Whatever chopper comes next will have some pretty big shoes to fill, so maybe sending six helicopters to Mars is the appropriate follow-up.