Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY) announced a $13 million subcontract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to manufacture, test, and deliver an aeroshell for NASA's SkyFall Mars mission, which is targeted for launch in late 2028.

The aeroshell, which includes both a backshell and heatshield, will be developed at Firefly's Gloworks innovation lab and manufactured at the company's Rocket Ranch facility in Briggs, Texas. Firefly said it will use carbon composite technologies drawn from its Blue Ghost lunar landers, Elytra orbiters, and Alpha and Eclipse launch vehicles.

The SkyFall mission, managed by JPL, will deploy three Mars helicopters using a mid-air release technique called the "SkyFall Maneuver," in which an entry capsule releases the helicopters during descent without requiring a landing platform. The helicopters are designed to capture surface imagery and subsurface radar data to scout for water ice and analyze terrain.

After manufacturing, Firefly will conduct structural qualification and flight acceptance testing at its Texas facility before delivering the aeroshell to JPL for additional environmental testing and integration with the mission's helicopters and deployment system.

"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," said Shea Ferring, Chief Technology Officer at Firefly Aerospace.

Firefly also noted it recently received a separate JPL subcontract related to NASA's MoonFall mission and has four upcoming lunar missions under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The company said it recently doubled its central Texas facility space and expanded its spacecraft cleanroom.