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[Music]

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Saturn’s largest moon,
Titan, has a thick atmosphere

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and a frozen surface
rich in organic molecules.

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In 2034, a NASA mission called
Dragonfly will arrive at Titan

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and study its chemical makeup.

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Dragonfly is a rotorcraft
designed to visit multiple sites

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across the moon’s
varied terrain.

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At each new landing site on
Titan’s surface, Dragonfly uses

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a pulsed neutron generator
and onboard gamma ray sensor to

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detect key elements such as
carbon and hydrogen in organic

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materials, or
oxygen in water ice.

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Dragonfly determines if there
are well-defined layers of these

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materials just below the lander.

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For a closer inspection,
Dragonfly uses its drill to

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generate tailings from
Titan’s hard, frozen surface.

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These surface samples can
then be ingested through the

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pneumatic system, carried
with Titan air into the chilled

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sample lines and to the
sample collection carousel.

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One of the carousel’s sample
cups is placed in a pneumatic

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port.

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The cup captures the surface
material from the cold air

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stream and transfers it to
the chemical laboratory for

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measurement.

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Pulses from a laser release
large organic molecules from the

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surface sample for analysis
in the mass spectrometer.

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The mass spectrometer sorts
molecules by mass and measures

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diagnostic fragments that tell
Dragonfly the kinds of chemical

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components that are present in
the surface, and whether there

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are molecules of
prebiotic interest.

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For those potential prebiotic
samples, a new cup is placed

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into an oven and heated to
release molecules into a gas

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chromatograph, where they are
sorted for size and type before

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entering the mass spectrometer.

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This advanced separation of
organic components includes

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isolating molecules with the
same formula but different

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chiral
arrangements, or handedness.

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Having a preference for one
handedness over another is a key

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biosignature for life on Earth.

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When the chemical analysis is
complete, Dragonfly may choose

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to take another surface sample,
or find a new location on Titan

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to investigate.

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[Music]