NASA's Space Reactor-1 Freedom aims for Mars with a trio of scout helicopters
NASA plans to launch Space Reactor-1 Freedom in 2028, the first nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft, using nuclear electric propulsion to reach Mars and carry three Skyfall scout helicopters to map terrain and locate subsurface water ice for future crewed missions; this mission sits within NASA’s broader exploration reboot, which pauses Gateway to focus on a permanent lunar base while keeping Dragonfly to Titan and Rosalind Franklin Rover to Mars on track.
