NASA just announced their next major planetary science mission called Project Dragonfly.
This plan outlines how NASA will send a small spacecraft to saturn’s moon Titan, a moon with an extremely dense atmosphere.
A microwave-sized rotorcraft will fly from location to location above the surface of Titan. The craft will cover 180 kilometers over two years to learn more about the surface and it’s capability for human habitation.
Why Titan?
Titan is the only moon in the Solar System with a planet-like atmosphere that could allow complex molecules to form/enable life.
The moon is described as “most comparable to early Earth”.
The rover will be looking for organic and chemical compounds that could possibly stem from past or recent life.
This mission won’t be easy…
The rotorcraft will have to handle temperatures around -300 Fahreneheit. Titan’s atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and more massive than Earth’s. But the rotorcraft won’t need to put as much effort to fly as compared to earth since gravity is only 1/7th of what is on Earth.
When Will The Mission Start?
Launch date proposal for project Dragonfly is 2026 and will get to Titan in 2034.
Total maximum mission cost for NASA’s New Frontiers program was $850 million. The largest competitive mission program for planetary exploration.
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