NASA invites public to send names to Titan on Dragonfly mission
Participants can submit their names to be stored on a microchip aboard the rotorcraft mission to Saturn's largest moon.
NASA is inviting people globally to submit their names to be carried to Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, via the Dragonfly rotorcraft mission, according to a Hindustan Times report. The names will be stored on a microchip on the spacecraft, and participants will receive a personalised digital boarding pass.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said the mission would allow the agency to explore Titan while searching for signs of habitability on a world that shares similarities with Earth. Fox stated that the agency is excited to bring humanity along for the journey.
The Dragonfly rotorcraft is under construction at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. The mission is planned to launch in 2028 and is expected to arrive at Titan in 2034.
Titan features a thick atmosphere, organic-rich landscapes, and lakes of liquid methane. Once the spacecraft arrives, it will fly to various locations to study diverse environments and search for clues regarding prebiotic chemistry.
The mission is being directed by Johns Hopkins APL, with Elizabeth Turtle serving as the principal investigator. It is the fourth mission under the NASA New Frontiers Program, managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Interested individuals can submit their details through the official NASA website until January 15, 2027.