SkyFall ground-penetrating radar engineer Maya Román connects a coaxial cable to a test antenna inside the Environmental Test Lab’s electromagnetic interference testing chamber at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
During testing, engineers pointed the antenna upward to reduce reflections and electromagnetic interference that could affect the antenna’s measurement pattern.
Each of the three SkyFall aircraft will carry four scientific instruments and build on the success of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Ingenuity completed 72 flights over nearly three years, demonstrating that powered, controlled flight is possible in Mars’ thin atmosphere. The helicopter also showed how an aerial perspective can provide valuable data, helping NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover team plan efficient routes and select locations for scientific exploration.
NASA’s SkyFall aircraft are expected to launch aboard Space Reactor-1 Freedom in late 2028.
Source: science.nasa.gov