You may never fly through the hazy skies of a distant moon, but your name can. NASA is inviting the public to send their names nearly a billion miles from Earth aboard its most ambitious new mission: the Dragonfly rotorcraft headed for Titan.
A Drone the Size of a Small Car
Scheduled
to launch in 2028, the Dragonfly mission is unlike anything NASA has attempted before. Instead of a stationary lander or a wheeled rover, Dragonfly is a dual-quadcopter—essentially a drone the size of a small car—designed to fly through the thick atmosphere of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. After its arrival in 2034, the rotorcraft will be able to travel for miles between scientifically interesting sites, landing to collect and analyze samples from diverse locations. This mobility is key to exploring a world that is incredibly varied, with vast dune fields made of organic sand, river channels, and craters from past impacts. The mission plans for Dragonfly to operate for over three years, hopping across Titan's alien landscape.
Why Is Titan So Special?
Titan is one of the most compelling destinations in our solar system in the search for the origins of life. It is the only moon with a dense atmosphere, and the only other body besides Earth known to have stable liquid on its surface. However, Titan's rivers, lakes, and seas are not filled with water, but with liquid methane and ethane. Its surface is rich in complex organic molecules, the carbon-based building blocks of life. Scientists believe Titan is an analogue to very early Earth, preserving a chemical environment that could offer clues about how life began. Dragonfly's primary goal isn't to find existing life, but to study this 'prebiotic chemistry'—the steps that happen before life emerges.
Your Name on a 'Message in a Bottle'
As part of its 'Journey to Titan' campaign, NASA is inviting people around the world to add their names to a microchip that will be carried aboard the lander. This initiative continues a long-standing tradition at the space agency of engaging the public by flying names on its spacecraft. Millions of names have previously traveled on missions to Mars, the Moon, and Jupiter's moon Europa. For Dragonfly, your name will be a symbolic passenger on what Nicky Fox, an associate administrator at NASA, calls 'one of the most exciting space missions of our lifetime'. It’s a chance to connect personally with a groundbreaking journey of exploration.
How to Get Your Boarding Pass
Securing your spot on the flight to Titan is simple and free. Interested individuals can visit NASA's official Dragonfly mission website to submit their name. The form is straightforward, and upon completion, you receive a personalized, downloadable 'boarding pass' as a souvenir of your participation. It’s a fun keepsake to share and a reminder of your tiny part in this grand adventure. The deadline for submissions is firm: all names must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 15, 2027. With more than 166,000 names already submitted, you will be in good company as your name makes the long journey across the solar system.
