# Without new landers or rovers, it's helicopters or bust for NASA's Mars program

https://mins.news/en/item/40201

- Ars Technica, 2026-09-01 11:00 UTC
- Science
- Original: https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/without-new-landers-or-rovers-its-helicopters-or-bust-for-nasas-mars-program/

> For the first time in more than 30 years, NASA has no firm plans for another Mars lander or rover. Its near-term focus is aerial exploration, with the three-helicopter SkyFall mission potentially launching in late 2028 alongside the Space Reactor-1 “Freedom” mission, which aims to demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion in deep space.