NASA JPL conducts antenna testing for SkyFall mission

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is conducting electromagnetic‑interference (EMI) testing on the SkyFall ground‑penetrating radar, a key instrument slated for an upcoming planetary exploration mission. The tests are being performed in the Environmental Test Lab’s EMI chamber, where engineers evaluate the radar’s performance under controlled conditions that simulate the harsh electromagnetic environment of space. Successful verification of the radar’s immunity to interference is essential to ensure reliable subsurface imaging once the system is deployed on its target body.

During the latest test, SkyFall radar engineer Maya Román connected a coaxial cable to a test antenna positioned to point upward, a configuration chosen to reduce reflections and minimize distortions of the antenna’s radiation pattern. The antenna, equipped with four identical instrument modules, transmitted and received signals while the chamber’s instrumentation recorded data on signal integrity and susceptibility to external noise. The results will inform final calibration procedures and confirm that the radar meets NASA’s stringent standards before integration with the spacecraft.