NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract to launch the Dragonfly mission to Titan, Saturn's largest moon, using a Falcon Heavy rocket, with the launch scheduled for 2028 and arrival expected in 2034.

The Dragonfly mission will utilize a flyby of Earth to gain additional velocity before embarking on its six-year journey to Titan.

Once launched, Dragonfly will experience a complex descent involving an aeroshell and parachutes, taking approximately 105 minutes to land safely on Titan's surface.

The mission aims to land near a feature called Shangri-La, a large sand sea on Titan, and will explore the Selk impact structure, a 90 km (56 mi) diameter crater believed to contain liquid water and organics.

Titan is unique as the only celestial body, besides Earth, known to have stable liquids on its surface, making it a key target for investigating prebiotic chemistry.

Dragonfly is an astrobiology mission designed to analyze chemical compositions on Titan, particularly focusing on the presence of prebiotic chemicals.

NASA has invested approximately $256 million in the Dragonfly mission, underscoring its significance in astrobiology compared to exploring icy moons like Europa and Enceladus.

Once landed, Dragonfly will conduct a series of flights up to 8 km (5 mi) long to collect and analyze geological samples, particularly around the Selk crater.

The exploration will focus on determining whether interactions between water and organics occurred in the Selk crater, which could indicate progress in prebiotic chemistry.

The Dragonfly craft is an octocopter designed for Titan's dense atmosphere and low gravity, capable of flying at speeds of approximately 36 km/h (22 mph) and powered by a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG).

Selk crater is significant for its potential to host melted pools where water and organics could interact, providing insights into the origins of life.

The mission's findings could enhance our understanding of prebiotic chemistry, as Titan's unique environment may reveal clues about the building blocks of life.