Topics

More

Penn State’s Aerospace Engineers Help Develop A Drone For NASA Concept Mission

Penn State’s aerospace engineers are developing a drone for a NASA concept mission to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. If selected, the drone, Dragonfly, would have an estimated mission launch by the mid 2020s and would last more than two and a half years.

The engineers, along with their team led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, have been selected as one of two finalists. The other is the Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return (CAESAR), led by Cornell University and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

“We’re using technologies developed for drones that fly here on Earth and modifying them so we can enable science missions on different planets,” Penn State associate professor Jack Langelaan said in a press release.

The moon being investigated is Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, which has seven times less gravity than Earth, and an atmosphere four times denser than Earth’s. Dragonfly’s objective is to investigate Titan’s organic chemistry and habitability, monitor atmospheric surface conditions, and perform seismic studies.

The selection of either the Dragonfly mission or the CAESAR mission is planned for spring of 2019, and will be the fourth in NASA’s New Frontiers portfolio.

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Christina Cuppari

Christina Cuppari is a Junior at Penn state and from Livingston, New Jersey. She is majoring in Energy Business and Finance and is part of Onward State's Visual Team primarily doing photography, but also occasionally writes a story. Christina's favorite band is Blink-182 and she is open to chatting at [email protected]

Crashing Out: McKenzie Clauss’ Senior Column

“It’s OK to feel devastated when you have to leave a place that means so much to you.”

State College Listed As Team Base Camp Site For 2026 FIFA World Cup

Teams can train at Jeffrey Field and stay at the Penn Stater Hotel.

Report: Penn State Hoops Forward Kachi Nzeh Enters Transfer Portal

Nzeh will be searching for his third program with two years of eligibility remaining.

113kFollowers
164kFollowers
64.5kFollowers
4,570Subscribers
Sign up for our Newsletter
Other posts by Christina

[Photo Story] Homecoming Week 2017 Kicks Off With Pollock Party

The event took place inside Pollock Commons Monday and included a variety of good eats, games, and Homecoming 2017 merchandise sales.