JPL Tests Flexible Radar Antenna for 3 SkyFall Mars Helicopters Ahead of 2028 Mission
Updated
Updated · Hackaday · Aug 19
JPL Tests Flexible Radar Antenna for 3 SkyFall Mars Helicopters Ahead of 2028 Mission
3 articles · Updated · Hackaday · Aug 19
Summary
JPL tested a downscaled flexible Vivaldi antenna for SkyFall’s ground-penetrating radar, aiming to let Mars helicopters carry subsurface sensors without damaging the antenna during landings.
The design matters because the radar antenna extends beyond the landing legs, so engineers need it to fold in on itself like fabric and survive repeated simulated Mars touchdowns plus sharp day-night temperature swings.
SkyFall is proposed as a three-helicopter Mars mission focused on scouting resources such as water, building on Ingenuity’s success with a more capable autonomous aerial system.
The mission is penciled in for 2028 deployment from the fission-powered Space Reactor-1 spacecraft, though that architecture’s ties to discarded Lunar Gateway elements leave the schedule and mission path uncertain.