You may never fly through the hazy skies of a distant moon, but your name can. NASA is offering a unique opportunity to send your name nearly a billion miles away on a historic mission to explore Titan, Saturn's largest and most mysterious moon.
What is the Dragonfly Mission?
Dragonfly
is one of NASA's most ambitious missions yet. Scheduled to launch in July 2028, it involves sending a car-sized robotic rotorcraft—essentially a nuclear-powered drone—to the surface of Titan. Unlike stationary landers or rovers with limited range, Dragonfly will be the first vehicle to perform powered, controlled flight on another world. After its arrival in 2034, this eight-bladed drone will fly between dozens of promising locations on Titan's surface. Its goal is to study the moon's complex chemistry, investigate its habitability, and search for the chemical building blocks of life.
Why Titan Is a 'Utopia for Explorers'
Titan is a truly alien world, yet strikingly familiar. It is the only moon in our solar system with a dense atmosphere, which is four times denser than Earth's. It also has a weather system, but instead of water, it rains liquid methane and ethane, which form rivers, lakes, and seas on its icy surface. Scientists are fascinated by Titan because its environment, rich in complex organic molecules, might resemble the conditions on early Earth before life began. By studying this 'prebiotic chemistry' in action, Dragonfly hopes to unlock secrets about the origins of life itself, both on our planet and potentially elsewhere. This makes it a prime target for astrobiology.
How To Send Your Name to Titan
NASA has made it simple for the public to be part of this adventure through its 'Journey to Titan' campaign. To add your name, you just need to visit NASA's official Dragonfly names website. You will find a straightforward form asking for your first name and last name. Once you submit your details, your name will be stenciled onto a microchip that will be attached to the Dragonfly rotorcraft. The deadline to secure your spot on the passenger list is 11:59 p.m. EST on January 15, 2027. So, there is still plenty of time to ensure a part of you makes the historic trip.
Get Your Commemorative Boarding Pass
After you have successfully submitted your name, the process is not quite over. As a memento of your participation, NASA will generate a personalized digital boarding pass. This souvenir features your name and details of the mission, such as the launch vehicle and the destination. You can download it, print it, or share it on social media to show you are a virtual passenger on this incredible journey. The website also gives you the option to sign up for mission updates via email, allowing you to follow Dragonfly's progress from its final preparations on Earth to its daring exploration on Titan.
A Legacy of Cosmic Messages
Sending public names on interplanetary missions is a beloved tradition for NASA. It is a way of connecting people around the world to the shared endeavor of space exploration. Similar campaigns have been incredibly popular for other missions. Over 2.6 million names were sent aboard the Europa Clipper spacecraft, which is currently on its way to Jupiter's moon Europa. Likewise, the Mars Perseverance rover carried the names of more than 10 million people to the Red Planet. For Dragonfly, your name will travel farther than most, becoming a permanent part of a mission that could redefine our understanding of life in the cosmos.
