In 2005, mankind got a look at the surface of an alien world. A probe known as Huygens was dropped off in the orbit of Saturn right on the surface of Titan – which is the planets biggest moon. The probe was dropped off by a spacecraft and just over an hour after it landed, Huygens transmitted data back to earth.  The data included images of the planet and scientists were fascinated by what they saw up until the probe ran out of battery power. This was expected, and up till date, Huygens remains on planet Saturn gathering dust.

Fast forward to 2017, a piece of new technology will now allow scientists hover over the planet, rather than land on it. NASA has devised an ambitious mission to send a drone to study the surface of Titan. The program was approved to use a drone called Dragonfly and is expected to launch in 2020.  Scientists hope that Dragonfly will hover over Titan’s surface and search for life. The program is being funded by NASA and is one of many proposals received by its New Frontiers program. NASA has recorded several successful robotic missions in the solar system, for example:

• Juno – currently orbiting Jupiter.

• OSIRIS-REX – on its way to an asteroid called Bennu to collect some surface material and send the samples back to earth.

• New horizons – Flew past Pluto in 2015.

The Dragonfly is on a fact-finding mission just like all the others. It will be led by Elizabeth Turtle, a planetary scientist at John Hopkins University.

NASA also approved another mission called the Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return (CAESAR). For now, this is the only other mission that could delay the launch of the Dragonfly as NASA still has until 2019 to decide between the two missions.

Titan has been a mystery to scientists for ages. It is Saturn’s largest moon and is covered in a dense atmosphere that is made up of nitrogen gases. It is surrounded by mystery and unknown organic molecules making the best explorers for the job robotic devices. In the past, imaging spacecraft have been unable to penetrate the hazy atmosphere, so the composition of the surface still remains unknown.

If NASA approves Dragonfly’s mission, it will use equipment that will detect the chemical components on the surface. The drone-like robot will look for signs of life and also check for any molecules which could transform into complex life forms.  It will be equipped with a camera which will transmit data to researchers. When compared to other robots that were sent to explore the solar system, scientists are optimistic that Dragonfly will go further.