Drone to fly on Saturn’s moon
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NASA is sending a dual-quadcopter drone to explore the surface of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Named Dragonfly, the mission will search for hints of life on a world similar to primordial Earth
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TITAN: Only other world in solar system with standing liquid (methane) on surface, giving opportunity to explore chemical processes that could have sparked life on Earth

Organic-rich atmosphere and surface 

Outer shell (water-ice / clathrate)

Subsurface water ocean 

High-pressure ice shell 

Hydrous silicate core

Infrared image of Titan
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MISSION
Dragonfly will land at Shangri-La dune fields (1) before reaching Selk crater (2), where liquid water and organic materials vital for life once existed together

Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) Converts heat released by decay of radioactive material into electricity to power craft

Dragonfly will also study composition of Titan using gamma ray neutron spectrometer

Huygens probe landing site (2005)

High-gain antenna (HGA)
Will provide direct communication to Earth

Cameras
Images streamed to offer bird’s-eye view of Titan

Drills
Will collect samples for analysis by mass spectrometer 

3 metres
3 metres
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Sources: NASA, Johns Hopkins University Pictures: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Nantes/University of Arizona, Associated Press   © GRAPHIC NEWS