One of the most anticipated NASA missions to the outer solar system is the Dragonfly mission. Slated for launch in June 2027, the mission will explore Saturn’s moon Titan—one of the only moons in the solar system with any discernible atmosphere, a liquid cycle that mimics the one on Earth (albeit with methane), and just our all-around favorite moon. Similar to the Mars helicopter Ingenuity, but even more advanced, Dragonfly will send a mobile lander with 8 rotors capable of hopping around the moon’s surface.
Sounds cool, right? Sadly, it’ll take a full seven years for Dragonfly to finally arrive at Titan in 2034, but scientists from Princeton Satellite Systems (PSS) and other universities and aeronautical institutions say that there could be a speedier, more efficient way to get from Earth’s Point A to Titan’s Point B—a direct fusion drive (DFD).
A new paper published last month in the journal Acta Astronautica argues that a fusion-powered drive, capable of delivering propulsion while powering onboard electronics, could be a way to get more power and cargo to outer moons like Titan, and designed a scenario revealing what a DFD-powered Titan mission would look like.
Too little payload, and far too slow. We can do better. To read more, click here.