Dragonfly will conduct flights, collect samples with a cryogenic vacuum drill, and recharge its battery for two days between moves during its planned 40-month surface exploration mission.
Johns Hopkins APL is conducting ground vibration tests on Dragonfly in clean rooms in Laurel, Maryland.
Western University planetary scientist Catherine Neish serves as a Dragonfly co-investigator and anchors the Canadian contribution to the mission.
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has completed frame qualification testing for NASA's Dragonfly rotorcraft.
Dragonfly is being fitted with 850 custom-made foam tiles for thermal insulation.
Dragonfly is expected to arrive at Saturn's moon Titan in 2034.
Dragonfly is currently in its integration and test phase after seven years of development.
Engineers have validated Dragonfly's lightweight aluminum honeycomb structure for launch and flight loads.
NASA's Dragonfly mission is scheduled to launch in July 2028.
Dragonfly will use onboard cameras to scout landing sites and fly autonomously.
Dragonfly will undergo environmental testing in a custom vacuum chamber built to simulate Titan's atmospheric pressure and cryogenic temperatures.
The Dragonfly spacecraft planned for Titan will use an MMRTG.
The Mars Organic Molecular Analyzer and the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer will both perform solution-phase chemical analyses with TMAH.
The Dragonfly mission is planned for Titan.
The Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer will explore Titan on NASA's Dragonfly mission.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman testified that the FY2027 budget request focuses on building a lunar base, supporting commercial work with LEO, and investing in science programs including the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope and the Dragonfly mission to Titan.
The Dragonfly mission to Titan and the NEO Surveyor are expected to remain on schedule despite the current fiscal climate.
The proposed NASA budget includes $424 million for the Dragonfly mission to explore Saturn’s moon Titan.
NASA plans to launch the Dragonfly mission to Titan in 2028.
Dragonfly will launch in 2028 and arrive at Titan in 2034.