NASA wires up Dragonfly and names the landing area
Titan-bound rotorcraft set for launch in 2028
The Titan dune field where NASA's Dragonfly rotorcraft will land in 2034 has a name: Ahmakiq Undae.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved the name, and NASA announced it in an update as the spacecraft's 2028 launch edges closer. It is scheduled to arrive at Saturn's moon Titan in late 2034.
Dragonfly's fabrication began in late 2024 and was completed about a year later. Most recently, engineers fitted the probe's wiring harness, which, according to NASA, includes an estimated 17,315 feet of conductor wire and 374 connectors, and weighs about 100 pounds.
The harness is accompanied by a battery weighing in at almost 300 pounds.
The nuclear-powered Dragonfly is an impressive piece of hardware. The fuselage is almost 13 feet long, and the arms will hold eight sets of rotors. The probe has landing skids and a cap on the end for its...
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