The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed the Dragonfly Rotorcraft mission to Titan, a moon of Saturn, UNN reports.
Details
"NASA has confirmed the mission of the Dragonfly rotorcraft to Saturn's organic-rich moon Titan. This decision allows the mission to move forward to finalize the final design and then build and test the entire spacecraft and scientific instruments," the statement said.
"Dragonfly is an exciting science mission of broad public interest, and we are excited to take the next steps in this mission," said Nicki Fox, deputy administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. - "Titan's exploration will push the boundaries of what we can do with rotorcraft beyond Earth.
It is indicated that in 2023, the mission was asked to develop an updated budget and schedule to reflect the current funding situation. And with the publication of the President's FY2025 budget request, the total life-cycle cost of Dragonfly was confirmed at $3.35 billion and a launch date of July 2028.
"The rover, set to arrive on Titan in 2034, will fly over dozens of promising sites on the moon in search of prebiotic chemical processes common to both Titan and early Earth before life. Dragonfly will be the first time NASA has sent a spacecraft to another planetary body for scientific purposes. The rotorcraft has eight propellers and flies like a large drone," the agency said.
Проект пошуку життя на Марсі занадто коштовний, потрібні нові ідеї – NASA16.04.24, 20:17