SpaceX Will Launch NASA’s Dragonfly Mission

Falcon Heavy once again confirms itself as the primary US vehicle for launching significant space science missions. On November 25, NASA announced that it had selected SpaceX’s heaviest operational rocket to launch the ambitious Dragonfly mission toward Saturn’s moon Titan.

The firm-fixed contract has a value of $256.6 million and includes launch services as well as mission-related costs. The liftoff of the high-value mission is currently targeted for 2028, during a three-week window between July 5 and July 25, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

*Artist’s concept of Dragonfly on Titan. Credits: NASA*

Towards Titan

Titan, the second-largest moon in our solar system, was first discovered by Christiaan Huygens in 1655. In the 20th century, the two Voyager probes flew close to Titan, observing it up close for the first time. Later, the Cassini mission studied the moon in greater detail through more than 100 flybys, uncovering significant details that made Titan one of the primary targets of planetary observation.

*Images of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam instrument on 4 November 2022. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA*

Titan is unique in the Solar System. It has a dense atmosphere and its surface hosts rivers, lakes, and seas of liquid ethane and methane. These particular conditions allow clouds to form, with occasional rare precipitation. The interaction between the atmosphere and sunlight produces complex organic compounds that could potentially have created a habitat for extraterrestrial life. Furthermore, beneath a surface water-ice crust lies a deep salty ocean.

Dragonfly will explore various areas of Titan’s surface to investigate how far prebiotic chemistry has progressed, and even to search for chemical signatures that could indicate water-based or hydrocarbon-based life.

The mission

Selected as part of NASA’s New Frontier program, the $3.35 billion mission will study as never before the unique environment of a distant celestial body, advancing our understanding of the Solar System and the conditions on our planet before the emergence of life, while enhancing our ability to search for signs of life beyond Earth.

The dense atmosphere of Titan makes it an ideal environment for flight. In fact, Dragonfly’s dual-quadcopter design will revolutionize planetary exploration. Unlike the rovers sent to Mars and other celestial bodies, Dragonfly will be able to cover several kilometers over three years, extending the search and exploration of Titan across vast distances.

The ability to fly on another planet has already been demonstrated by the incredible NASA Ingenuity helicopter, which completed an astounding 72 flights on Mars between 2021 and 2024.

NASA graphic showing Dragonfly mission arriving on Saturn's moon Titan, and flying in its atmosphere. — *NASA graphic showing Dragonfly mission arriving on Saturn’s moon Titan, and flying in its atmosphere. Credits: NASA*

Like Curiosity, the rotorcraft will be powered by a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG).

Flight, data transmission, and most scientific operations will take place during Titan’s daytime hours, corresponding to eight Earth days, allowing Dragonfly to recharge during the Titan night.

Dragonfly will conduct a variety of groundbreaking scientific investigations on Titan. It will take samples and analyze them with a mass spectrometer to identify chemical components and processes that produce biologically relevant compounds. A neutron and gamma-ray spectrometer will measure the elemental composition of the surface. Imaging instruments will characterize geological features, while seismic studies will detect subsurface activity and structure.

^{*Cover image credits: SpaceX}