Dragonfly mission set for Saturn's moon Titan with NASA's confirmed plan
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 17, 2024

NASA has officially given the greenlight for the Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn's moon Titan, authorizing the project's transition to final design and construction stages. This development follows the successful completion of the mission's Preliminary Design Review and subsequent budget adjustments to align with the current financial landscape.

"Dragonfly represents a major science initiative that has captivated a broad range of stakeholders," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. "The next phases of this mission will expand our capabilities in extraterrestrial rotorcraft operations and enhance our understanding of Titan's complex environment."

The updated project plan, which has now been approved contingent upon the fiscal year 2025 budget allocations, was necessitated by cost overruns and delays attributed to funding limitations, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, and extensive design revisions.

These adjustments have increased the mission's total cost to $3.35 billion and pushed the launch date to July 2028, approximately two years later than initially planned.

Dragonfly's ambitious goal is to explore multiple sites on Titan by 2034, using a rotorcraft that operates similarly to a large drone. This mission, a first for NASA in terms of piloted scientific exploration on another celestial body, aims to investigate prebiotic chemical processes that might parallel those on the early Earth, offering insights into potential life-building conditions.

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