(ORDO NEWS) — NASA experts have investigated the site of the future landing of the Dragonfly rotorcraft on Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn. The mission will launch in 2027.
According to the plan, the lander will reach Titan in 2034. It will land on the Shangri-La dune field near Selk Crater. Scholars have deemed the area “scientifically noteworthy”.
As part of the new study, the authors conducted a detailed analysis of the radar images transmitted by the Cassini probe and the Huygens spacecraft. Based on this data, they mapped six sections of the region.
The study showed that the Shangri-La dune field is a dry equatorial region with a dense cold atmosphere. Periodically, it rains from liquid methane.
On the surface, you can see mountains and an impact crater from a meteorite fall. In the future, scientists intend to establish the depth and shape of the Selk crater.
Titan is believed to be similar to the early Earth in many ways. Therefore, during the mission, scientists expect to learn more about our own planet.
The Dragonfly weighing 450 kilograms will be equipped with eight rotors.
In Titan’s low-gravity, light-wind atmosphere, it will travel at speeds up to 36 kilometers per hour, making increasingly long flights from its landing site.
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