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- calendar_today November 8, 2026
NASA Opens Name Submission for 2028 Titan Dragonfly Mission
NASA is inviting people from around the world to take part in a groundbreaking deep-space journey—by having their names sent to Saturn's moon Titan aboard the Dragonfly rotorcraft. The agency announced the 'Journey to Titan' campaign, allowing the public to become part of the mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2028 and arrive at Titan in 2034.
How to Participate: Send Your Name on the Dragonfly Rotorcraft
Through the campaign, names submitted by the public will be included on a microchip installed on Dragonfly. Participants will receive a digital boarding pass as a keepsake of their involvement in this historic event. The opportunity to add names is open until 11:59 p.m. EST on January 15, 2027, via NASA's submission site.
Dragonfly: An Ambitious Deep Space Mission
The Dragonfly rotorcraft is being developed under the leadership of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. Currently under construction, it will be the first airborne science mission intended for another world. Unlike traditional planetary landers, Dragonfly will use rotor-powered flight to travel several miles across Titan's varied surface during its planned 3.3-year mission.
According to NASA officials, Dragonfly aims to explore key sites across Titan, including dune fields and the Selk Crater. Using advanced scientific instruments, the craft will analyze samples from different locations, searching for clues about prebiotic chemistry—processes that could reveal the building blocks of life beyond Earth.
About Titan: Saturn's Largest Moon
Titan stands out as the only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere and liquids on its surface. The moon is known for its organic-rich terrain, thick atmosphere, vast methane rivers and lakes, and tall sand dunes. Scientists hope that by studying Titan, the mission will provide critical insight into the kinds of chemical reactions that may have occurred before the emergence of life on Earth.
NASA's History of Public Involvement
Dragonfly continues a longstanding NASA tradition of flying names in space, which began with missions such as the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover that carried millions of names etched onto chips. The effort reflects NASA's approach to public outreach and participation.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said Dragonfly will be a milestone as the first rotorcraft science mission, exploring a world considered most similar to our own. Fox invited everyone to submit their names and join in the mission, which is a key part of the agency's New Frontiers Program managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Dr. Elizabeth Turtle serves as the mission's principal investigator at APL.
Further Information
The Dragonfly mission is the fourth mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program. Those interested in learning more about the mission's science and objectives can visit NASA's Dragonfly mission page.
Source: beachconnection.net.
