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Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, has a thick atmosphere
and a frozen surface rich in organic molecules.
In 2034, a NASA mission called Dragonfly will arrive at Titan
and study its chemical makeup.
Dragonfly is a rotorcraft designed to visit multiple sites
across the moon’s varied terrain.
At each new landing site on Titan’s surface, Dragonfly uses
a pulsed neutron generator and onboard gamma ray sensor to
detect key elements such as carbon and hydrogen in organic
materials, or oxygen in water ice.
Dragonfly determines if there are well-defined layers of these
materials just below the lander.
For a closer inspection, Dragonfly uses its drill to
generate tailings from Titan’s hard, frozen surface.
These surface samples can then be ingested through the
pneumatic system, carried with Titan air into the chilled
sample lines and to the sample collection carousel.
One of the carousel’s sample cups is placed in a pneumatic
port.
The cup captures the surface material from the cold air
stream and transfers it to the chemical laboratory for
measurement.
Pulses from a laser release large organic molecules from the
surface sample for analysis in the mass spectrometer.
The mass spectrometer sorts molecules by mass and measures
diagnostic fragments that tell Dragonfly the kinds of chemical
components that are present in the surface, and whether there
are molecules of prebiotic interest.
For those potential prebiotic samples, a new cup is placed
into an oven and heated to release molecules into a gas
chromatograph, where they are sorted for size and type before
entering the mass spectrometer.
This advanced separation of organic components includes
isolating molecules with the same formula but different
chiral arrangements, or handedness.
Having a preference for one handedness over another is a key
biosignature for life on Earth.
When the chemical analysis is complete, Dragonfly may choose
to take another surface sample, or find a new location on Titan
to investigate.
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