NASA'S LATEST QUADCOPTER IS SET TO EXPLORE SATURN'S MOON!

A team at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has developed a concept mission called Dragonfly. The program proposes a radioisotope powered, dual-quadcopter that could embark upon multiple missions on Saturn's largest moon Titan.

The Dragonfly proposal is one of 12 being currently considered for further development to become the fourth mission launched under the New Frontiers program. This NASA program encourages scientists to propose missions, from which NASA then funds into development.

The team from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has focused on the broad mission category that proposed a study of Saturn's moons Enceladus and Titan. The low-gravity and dense but calm atmosphere on Titan make it a perfect target for a flight-based exploratory mission. The thick atmosphere on Titan make solar power inefficient as a power source, so the Dragonfly will employ a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) similar to that of the Curiosity rover on Mars. This will allow the quadcopter to embark upon hour-long flights during the day and then recharge itself at night.

The proposal for Dragonfly estimates that in a single hour long flight the device could travel well over 10 or 20 kilometres. This means across a two-year mission the device could explore a significant breadth of Titan's surface. In one jump the Dragonfly could travel further than the Curiosity rover has travelled in four years.

The final mission for the Dragonfly will be decided upon by mid-2019 with a launch scheduled by 2025.