Antenna Testing for NASA’s SkyFall Mission

• Testing is underway for ground-penetrating radar antennas intended for NASA’s upcoming SkyFall mission.
• The mission will feature three aircraft, each equipped with four scientific instruments.

Testing Details

• The procedures are being conducted in the electromagnetic interference testing chamber at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California.
• Engineer Maya Román is overseeing the connection of coaxial cables to the test hardware.
• Antennas were pointed upward during the process to reduce potential signal reflections and measurement interference.

Mission Context and Outlook

• SkyFall follows the precedent set by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which completed 72 flights over nearly three years and proved powered flight is viable in Mars' thin atmosphere.
• Like Ingenuity, the SkyFall aircraft will provide aerial perspectives to help the Perseverance rover team map efficient routes and identify target locations for scientific study.
• Launch is currently scheduled for late 2028 aboard NASA’s Space Reactor-1 Freedom.