NASA’s Dragonfly nuclear-powered helicopter has cleared a key milestone in its mission to Saturn’s moon Titan. The successful completion of the Critical Design Review marks an important step towards the spacecraft’s construction, which is now set to begin.
The $3.35 billion mission, designed and built by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, aims to study Titan’s potential for hosting life. With a launch date set for no earlier than July 2028 on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, Dragonfly will embark on an almost seven-year-long journey through deep space to reach Titan.
Equipped with cameras, sensors, and samplers, the spacecraft is designed to assess Titan’s habitability by searching for prebiotic chemistry and signs of life. Scientists believe that Titan may harbor alien life due to its subsurface ocean of salty water beneath its icy crust.
The Dragonfly mission has faced delays and cost overruns in the past but remains a high priority for scientists. The mission is set to spend more than three years studying areas across Titan’s surface, providing valuable insights into the moon’s habitability and potential for life beyond Earth.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/nasas-dragonfly-nuclear-powered-helicopter-clears-key-hurdle-ahead-of-2028-launch-toward-huge-saturn-moon-titan