U.S. aerospace company AeroVironment has partnered with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to co-design and manufacture three Mars helicopters. The rotorcraft are being developed for the upcoming SkyFall mission, which is currently scheduled for launch in late 2028.
AV has teamed up with @NASAJPL to co‑design and co‑manufacture three Mars helicopters for the SkyFall mission, slated to launch in late 2028.
Building on AV and JPL’s proven partnership and the legacy of the Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter, SkyFall will apply the same disciplined… pic.twitter.com/HYzBFM3LNE
— AV (@aerovironment) August 19, 2026
The agreement builds upon the previous collaboration between AeroVironment and JPL on the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter program. According to a statement released by the company, the SkyFall mission will apply the same engineering practices utilized during the Ingenuity program to develop the new platforms.
The co-development of multiple rotorcraft for the SkyFall mission indicates an expansion of aerial exploration capabilities following the operational deployment of the initial Ingenuity platform.