NASA's nuclear mission to Mars is taking shape with the selection of Firefly Aerospace to design and build the protective atmosphere that will shield the Skyfall spacecraft's landing stage during its rapid descent through the Martian atmosphere. NASA's first interplanetary nuclear probe, scheduled for launch in 2028, will have three rotors.

According to "space" website, the mission is being managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which recently awarded Firefly a $13 million subcontract to manufacture components of the spacecraft.

This will be the company's first project developed at its expanded facility in Texas, Glovebox. It will rely on engineering expertise gained from Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar landing vehicle and Alpha and Eclipse rockets.

Details of Skyfall mission equipment

Firefly's atmospheric design includes the thermal shield and rear cover for the "Skyfall" capsule, providing it with the necessary thermal protection from the Martian atmosphere. It also has dynamic aerodynamic characteristics that enable it to safely and accurately exit the vacuum of space.

Instead of landing its three rotorcraft on Mars' surface, Skyfall will launch them during its descent, allowing them to immediately take off into the Martian sky and begin their mission to survey resources. NASA calls this process "Skyfall Maneuver."

The mission aims to prove the feasibility of portable digging devices on board helicopters, and NASA plans to use this data to explore water ice on Mars' surface, as well as study potential landing sites for future manned missions.

After FireFly completes its outer shell development at Glovix, work will move to the company's "Rocket Farm" in Bridge City, Texas, where it will begin manufacturing and testing before being transported to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to be integrated into the spacecraft.