NASA\u2019s upcoming SkyFall mission will dispatch a trio of miniature rotorcraft to the Red Planet, each fitted with a flexible antenna that looks like a small cape. The antennae serve as ground\u2011penetrating radar, enabling the helicopters to look up to five metres below the Martian surface in search of shallow water ice.<\/p>\n
The three SkyFall drones are built on the same basic design as the Ingenuity helicopter that rode to Mars on the Perseverance rover. While Ingenuity, which weighed about 1.8\u202fkg (4\u202flb) on Earth, demonstrated that powered flight is possible in the thin Martian atmosphere, SkyFall\u2019s craft are intended to do more. Their primary mission is to fly low and slow enough to capture radar reflections from the top few feet of regolith, a zone that orbital radar cannot resolve.<\/p>\n
According to Adrian Tang, the lead instrument scientist for the radar at JPL, detecting shallow subsurface ice remotely requires proximity to the ground. By maintaining a low flight path, a SkyFall helicopter can generate radar images that reveal the fine layering where dry soil transitions to ice, allowing scientists to map the extent of these deposits.<\/p>\n
The radar system relies on a Vivaldi\u2011type antenna, a design first introduced in 1978. Each antenna has been miniaturized to fit the small airframe, yet it remains about one\u2011and\u2011half times longer than the helicopter\u2019s landing legs, which are 15\u202fcm (6\u202fin) tall. During touchdown, the antenna must bend away from the ground or a rock, then spring back into position for the next flight.<\/p>\n
Christine\u202fGebara, the mechanical lead for the radar at JPL, explained that the antenna\u2019s ability to flex repeatedly without permanent deformation is crucial, as the mission expects dozens of flights. To achieve this durability, the team wrapped the antenna in layers of polyester and Vectran\u2014a strong, flexible fabric previously used in the airbags that cushioned the Spirit and Opportunity rovers in 2004. Additional reinforcement comes from flexible fiberglass tape springs and a lightweight internal structure. The complete assembly weighs only 142\u202fg (5\u202foz).<\/p>\n
Before the helicopters ever leave Earth, they underwent rigorous trials in JPL\u2019s Environmental Test Laboratory, which simulates extraterrestrial conditions. Engineers repeatedly flexed the antenna, subjected the craft to extreme temperature swings, and verified that radar transmission and reception remained functional throughout.<\/p>\n
The antenna survived 200 simulated landings\u2014more than twice the number anticipated for the actual mission\u2014while continuing to operate as designed. Tang called the outcome a \u201cmajor milestone,\u201d noting that the hardware performed exactly as expected, though further work remains before it is fully flight\u2011qualified.<\/p>\n
NASA aims to launch SkyFall in 2028 aboard the Space Reactor\u20111 Freedom, the agency\u2019s first nuclear fission\u2011powered interplanetary spacecraft. If successful, the mission will provide the first close\u2011range radar data of Mars\u2019s shallow subsurface, informing future crewed missions about the location and accessibility of water ice for drinking, oxygen production, and fuel generation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NASA plans to launch three miniature rotorcraft to Mars in 2028, each equipped with a flexible antenna that resembles a tiny cape, to probe the planet\u2019s shallow subsurface for water ice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2505,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[2639,2638,2114,132,1741],"yoast_head":"\n