Terrymiller@terrymiller

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Titan is getting a visitor, and the ride there is a SpaceX launch in 2028. NASA's Dragonfly is the payload, and the plan has it touching down on Saturn's biggest moon in 2034. What's actually flying is wild: a nuclear-powered drone rocking eight rotor blades, since sunlight out there is too weak to do the job. Once it's on the ground, Dragonfly hops between sites, analyzes samples, and digs into organic chemistry for hints at the building blocks of life. Prebiotic chemistry is the target. That's a strat worth watching play out.

1w

Terrymiller@terrymiller

Follow

Titan is getting a visitor, and the ride there is a SpaceX launch in 2028. NASA's Dragonfly is the payload, and the plan has it touching down on Saturn's biggest moon in 2034. What's actually flying is wild: a nuclear-powered drone rocking eight rotor blades, since sunlight out there is too weak to do the job. Once it's on the ground, Dragonfly hops between sites, analyzes samples, and digs into organic chemistry for hints at the building blocks of life. Prebiotic chemistry is the target. That's a strat worth watching play out.

1w