NASA's '1st nuclear powered interplanetary spacecraft' will send Skyfall helicopters to Mars in 2028
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- NASA has announced the development of the Skyfall mission, set to launch in 2028, which will send a fleet of small helicopters to Mars aboard a spacecraft powered by nuclear electric propulsion (NEP), marking the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft.
- NEP technology uses an onboard fission reactor to generate electricity for highly efficient electric thrusters, differing fundamentally from the radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) used in past deep-space missions.
- The Skyfall mission's spacecraft, called Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom, aims to establish flight heritage for nuclear hardware, set regulatory precedents, and support sustained exploration beyond the Moon, including Mars and the outer solar system.
- The mission will deploy three helicopters similar to the Ingenuity rotorcraft, equipped with cameras and ground-penetrating radar to scout potential human landing sites and map subsurface water ice on Mars.
- NASA plans to launch Skyfall in December 2028, with arrival at Mars expected about a year later, and may continue to operate the SR-1 Freedom spacecraft for further exploration beyond Mars.
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