NASA is taking Mars exploration to new heights with its ambitious SkyFall mission!
Building on the success of the Ingenuity Mars helicopter, which made history with the first powered, controlled flight on another planet, SkyFall will send three next-generation helicopters to explore the Red Planet.
Watch this NASA animation showing how the helicopters will be released in a daring mid-air deployment, flying themselves to the Martian surface instead of landing aboard a traditional lander.
Equipped with cameras, scientific instruments and ground-penetrating radar, the helicopters will scout potential landing sites for future astronauts, map the Martian landscape and search for water ice hidden beneath the surface.
Announced on March 24, 2026, SkyFall is currently targeting a late 2028 launch.
