NASA Dragonfly Mission to Saturn’s Largest Moon a ‘Go’

NASA’s nuclear-powered, dual-quadcopter rotorcraft is expected to travel tens of miles in an hour, much farther than any existing rover.

Jack Daleo

Friday, April 19, 2024 at 01:34 PM ET

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An artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Dragonfly rotorcraft soaring over Titan’s sandy dunes. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

NASA has confirmed the Dragonfly mission to launch a nuclear-powered drone to Saturn's moon Titan in July 2028, aiming to investigate prebiotic chemical processes and the origins of life in the solar system.
The car-sized Dragonfly rotorcraft will arrive on Titan in 2034 and spend two years flying hundreds of miles, collecting samples and measurements to determine the moon's habitability.
The mission's cost has significantly risen to $3.35 billion, and its launch delayed by two years, attributed to multiple revisions, the need for a new heavy-lift launch vehicle, and supply chain issues including the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Within five years, NASA will launch a nuclear-powered drone to Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, to search for the origins of life.

The space agency this week confirmed its Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Titan, the fourth initiative under its New Frontiers program, is a “go” for 2028. According to NASA, teams can now begin finalizing the mission’s design. After that, they will begin construction and testing of the spacecraft and science instruments it will carry.