NASA Scientists Build Mass Spectrometer For Dragonfly Mission
Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt are working on the Dragonfly mission. The mission aims to continue the deployment of the ViaSat-3 constellation. The mission utilizes an octocopter instrument approximately the size of an SUV to study drilled samples. Personnel are working in clean room environments to complete the integration process. The ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific) spacecraft launch is scheduled for May 19, 2026, via a Falcon Heavy provider, resuming operations after an eighteen-month gap. NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day features imagery following the Moon and Venus, coinciding with recent space mission milestones. Scientists at Goddard Space Flight Center are testing hardware designed to analyze samples from Titan's frozen ground. The hardware is being built to withstand extreme cold during the mission.
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Developing
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Sources · 7 independent
“WTOP's Mike Morello got an inside look at how work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt is helping to make it happen. Dragonfly is a flying spacecraft which once untightened will travel from place to place and study its surface.”
“Charles Molespin, a scientist on the mission Titan is a unique place to explore. Titan is the only moon in the solar system that has an atmosphere.”
“carefully build and test the hardware that will analyze samples from Titan. Titan's frozen ground, working to understand how it might become habitable.”
“Now, Dragonfly isn't expected to make it to space any sooner than 2028.”
“isn't expected to make it to space any sooner than 2028.”
“Status: Go for Launch | Upcoming Launch: Soyuz-5 | Demo Flight. Launch: Soyuz-5 | Demo Flight | Status: Go for Launch”
“launching the ViaSat-3 F3 spacecraft after an eighteen-month gap in its manifest.”
“Status: Go for Launch | NET: 2026-05-03T06:59:00Z”
“Status: Go for Launch | NET: 2026-05-06T02:00:00Z”
“Upcoming Launch: Falcon Heavy | ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific). | Status: Launch in Flight”
“NET: 2026-04-30T02:37:53Z”
“NET: 2026-04-30T08:08:00Z”
“SpaceX launches 6-ton ViaSat-3 F3 satellite on Falcon Heavy rocket”
“Status: Go for Launch | NET: 2026-04-30T02:37:53Z”
“Status: Go for Launch | NET: 2026-04-30T11:00:00Z”
“ViaSat-3 F3 Spacecraft Launch Resumes”
“ViaSat-3 F3 Spacecraft Launch Resumes”
“Inside a clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, scientists covered head to toe in white suits carefully work on the hardware”
“It's an octocopter, it's about the size of an SUV, so it's huge. Inside a clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, scientists... work on the hardware”
“Today’s APOD is a combination of images following the Moon, Venus...”
“The flying spacecraft, which once untightened, will travel from place to place and study its surface. Charles Malesman, a scientist on the mission, says Titan is a unique place to explore.”
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