Nasa’s ‘SkyFall’ helicopters beam green waves to hunt for ice on Mars

An artist’s concept depicting the three SkyFall Mars helicopters collecting data while flying over the surface of the Red Planet (Picture: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cover Media)

Nasa has revealed a first glimpse of what its next generation of Martian helicopters could look like in action.

A new artist’s impression shows three SkyFall aircraft sweeping across the Red Planet as they search for hidden ice beneath the surface.

The helicopters are scheduled to launch in late 2028 before being delivered to Mars using what the US space agency describes as a ‘daring mid-air deployment’.

Once airborne, the trio will use sophisticated instruments for subsurface radar mapping, near-infrared imaging, visible-light photography and temperature monitoring.

Nasa’s new image shows green waves coming from the helico...