Keith Schacht’s Weblog

💡 TIL: NASA’s Dragonfly probe to Saturn’s Titan in 2028

26th November 2024

In 2028 NASA is launching a spacecraft to Saturn’s moon Titan to study its habitability in a mission named Dragonfly. It will land in 2034. They’re sending a drone powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator so they can visit a variety of sites. Titan is notable because it’s believed to have a similar chemistry to ancient earth. Past probes have measured the contents of the atmosphere and confirmed it contains a mix of hydrocarbons. The surface contains a lot of water ice and scientists believe there is a water ocean in the interior of the moon.