Jason Barnes studies the physics of planets and planetary systems and is the deputy principal investigator on the Dragonfly mission — an endeavor to send a robotic rotorcraft lander to Titan’s surface as part of the NASA New Frontiers Program.
Named for its insect shape, Dragonfly's primary mission will last a little over two years. With eight rotors, the dual-quadcopter will fly from site to site on the alien moon and sample the icy crust and hydrocarbon sands. It is outfitted with a vacuum to suck up samples, a drill for coring and instruments to perform chemical analyses.
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