Firefly Aerospace, global industry experts in space and defense technologies, has received a $13 million subcontract from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to manufacture, test and deliver the aeroshell for NASA’s SkyFall mission to Mars. Targeted for launch in late 2028, the mission is designed to deploy three next-generation Mars helicopters for scientific research, aerial mapping and subsurface resource prospecting.
The aeroshell will comprise a backshell and heatshield designed to meet mission requirements for the demanding environments encountered during launch, the cruise to Mars and entry, descent and deployment in the Martian atmosphere. Firefly Aerospace will manufacture the structure using advanced carbon composite technologies derived from its Blue Ghost lunar landers, Elytra orbital vehicles and Alpha and Eclipse launch vehicles.
Development will take place within Firefly Aerospace’s new Gloworks innovation laboratory, while manufacturing and testing will be conducted at the company’s Rocket Ranch in Briggs, Texas. Gloworks was established to advance new space technologies without interrupting the company’s existing launch vehicle and spacecraft production lines. The SkyFall subcontract is the first award associated with the new laboratory.
A Firefly Aerospace rendering of the aeroshell currently under development for the NASA SkyFall mission, which will deploy three helicopters to map the Martian surface and search for subsurface ice.
Following manufacturing, Firefly Aerospace will conduct structural qualification and flight acceptance testing at Rocket Ranch. The testing program will be used to confirm that the aeroshell meets the mission requirements associated with launch, interplanetary cruise and Mars entry, descent and landing. Once Firefly Aerospace has completed these activities, the aeroshell will be delivered to JPL for additional environmental testing at JPL facilities. This testing will take place before the aeroshell is integrated with the SkyFall helicopters and deployment system.
“NASA’s SkyFall is Firefly’s first award coming out of our new Gloworks innovation lab, which embodies our commitment to developing disruptive space technologies without disrupting our existing production lines,” said Shea Ferring, Chief Technology Officer at Firefly Aerospace. “Our deep expertise in building large composite structures for both spacecraft and rockets gives us a unique advantage to enable critical planetary missions like SkyFall. We’re further innovating these core technologies through Gloworks to push the boundaries of what’s possible and open new frontiers across our solar system.”
SkyFall builds on the flight heritage of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which completed the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. The three SkyFall helicopters will be evolved from the Ingenuity design and are intended to provide increased payload capability and operational range. The mission will use a mid-air deployment technique known as the SkyFall Maneuver. Rather than transporting the helicopters to the surface aboard a conventional landing platform, an entry capsule will release them during descent. The three aircraft will then fly to the Martian surface and land individually. Once deployed, the helicopters are expected to collect high-resolution surface imagery and subsurface radar data. The information will help scientists examine the terrain and natural forces that shaped the selected exploration area, map subsurface ice and assess potential landing sites for future human-scale Mars missions.
NASA’s mission plan calls for SkyFall to demonstrate aerial scouting and mapping without requiring a rover to provide a communications relay. The use of three aircraft could allow the mission to examine a broader area while demonstrating technologies for future coordinated aerial exploration. Each helicopter is expected to carry scientific and operational instrumentation, including optical cameras, ground-penetrating radar, temperature sensors and a radiation monitor. The instruments will be used to study Martian geology, weather patterns, surface conditions and potential subsurface ice deposits. The radar will collect information about subsurface features that can be combined with imagery to help map the surrounding terrain. If ice is detected, the measurements could help researchers evaluate its depth and extent while examining its potential relationship to the climate history of Mars.
“Firefly is ready to support the next generation of Mars exploration with a new level of speed and affordability,” said Ray Allensworth, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace. “We’ve proved our ability to execute off-Earth missions at a fraction of the cost and timeline through our successful Blue Ghost lunar mission. Now we’re applying these lessons learned and utilizing our proven technologies to continue accelerating and lowering costs for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Everything we’re doing on the Moon yields transferrable technologies and experience that we can apply to Mars.”
The aeroshell program follows Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1, which successfully landed on the Moon in March 2025. The company is applying its experience with composite spacecraft structures, integrated manufacturing and environmental testing to support the SkyFall development and qualification program. Firefly Aerospace is also expanding its central Texas spacecraft facilities and cleanroom capacity to support the production of multiple lunar landers and orbital vehicles. The company expects its Gloworks laboratory to provide a dedicated environment for developing and testing new technologies while its established production programs continue.
About Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace develops launch vehicles, lunar landers and orbital spacecraft for commercial, civil and national security missions. The company’s engineering, manufacturing and testing facilities are located in central Texas, supporting vertically integrated development of its Alpha and Eclipse launch vehicles, Blue Ghost lunar landers and Elytra orbital vehicles. Firefly Aerospace trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol FLY. For more information, please click here
Source/Photo Credit: Firefly Aerospace
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Molly Bakewell Chamberlin is the Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Components Source Network, a 100% woman- and disability-owned B2B publishing and expert marketplace platform serving the global high-tech manufacturing and engineering community. She is the architect, author and developer of the Network’s 11 specialized e-news sites and 11 peer-vetted expert e-marketplaces, including Sensors + Testing Monthly. With more than 25 years of experience in strategic technical marketing, public relations and business development, she is also the Founder and President of Embassy Global, LLC, which has supported more than 200 high-tech industry brands worldwide since 2008. Molly also serves pro bono as Second Vice Chair of the Government Team for the WBENC Forum and is a long-standing advocate for small business, supplier diversity, sustainability and women in STEM. Connect with Molly on LinkedIn.
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