NASA wires up Dragonfly and names the landing area
Titan-bound rotorcraft set for launch in 2028
NASA has named the landing area for its upcoming Dragonfly rotorcraft on Saturn's moon Titan as Ahmakiq Undae. This decision was approved by the International Astronomical Union and announced by NASA as the spacecraft's 2028 launch date approaches. The nuclear-powered Dragonfly is set to arrive at Titan in late 2034 after a decade of construction began in late 2024.
The probe is equipped with an extensive wiring harness, consisting of approximately 17,315 feet of conductor wire and 374 connectors, weighing around 100 pounds. Additionally, a battery weighing nearly 300 pounds will power the mission. The nuclear-powered spacecraft features an impressive 13-foot-long fuselage and eight sets of rotors to aid in its flight.
Engineers recently completed wiring harness fitting and vibration testing to ensure the rotorcraft's stability during flight. Dragonfly will explore diverse environments on Titan, ranging from organic dunes to Selk Crater, where liquid water and complex organic materials once existed. This mission, with a total lifecycle cost of $3.35 billion, aims to gather valuable data about Titan's environment and potential for life.
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- NASA’s Dragonfly Gets Wired Up While Titan Landing Area Is Named science.nasa.gov
- NASA wires up Dragonfly and names the landing area theregister.com
