Want your name on Saturn's moon? NASA offers a chance
What's the story
NASA is inviting people to send their names to Titan, Saturn's largest moon, through its Dragonfly rotorcraft. The names will be stored on a microchip carried by the spacecraft. Participants will also get a personalized digital boarding pass as a memento of their contribution to this historic mission. Those interested can submit their names via NASA's website page until January 15, 2027.
Mission details
Dragonfly mission to launch in 2028
The Dragonfly mission, which is being developed at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, will launch in 2028 and reach Titan by 2034.
The rotorcraft will explore Titan's diverse environments by flying to different locations on the moon.
During its journey, Dragonfly will look for clues about prebiotic chemistry, chemical processes that occurred before life began.
Exploration goals
Titan's potential for supporting life
Titan is known for its thick atmosphere, rivers and lakes of liquid methane, large dunes, and a landscape rich in organic material.
These features make it a prime candidate for the search for extraterrestrial life.
Nicky Fox, Associate Administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said the mission would use the first rotorcraft designed for such a scientific endeavor to explore Titan's conditions that could support life.