The Ukrainian technology company BlueBird Tech will take part in NASA's Dragonfly space mission: the brand name and a mention of Ukraine will be applied to a special silicon microchip that will reach Titan — the largest moon of Saturn.
The microchip will travel over 3.5 billion kilometers to become part of one of the most anticipated research missions of our time.
"For BlueBird Tech, this is an opportunity to speak about our native Ukraine at the international level. It is symbolic for us to join an ambitious NASA scientific project that will help humanity better understand the origins of the Universe. We are confident that Ukrainian technologies and engineering expertise should be heard in the world at all levels — from defense developments to space exploration," emphasized BlueBird Tech CEO Valerii Zarubin.
The company has already received an official symbolic boarding pass to participate in the interplanetary research program.
Mission goal and features of the Dragonfly spacecraft
The main task of the Dragonfly mission is to determine whether chemical conditions similar to those that preceded the emergence of life on Earth could have formed on Titan.
Dragonfly is a robotic flying octocopter with eight rotors. Thanks to Titan's dense atmosphere and low gravity, the vehicle will be able to fly from place to place, explore different areas of the moon, and collect soil samples for analysis.
The phenomenon of Titan is one of the most amazing celestial bodies in the Solar System. On its surface there are rivers, lakes, and seas, but instead of water they are filled with liquid methane and ethane, and the atmosphere is saturated with complex hydrocarbon compounds.
When the launch will take place
The launch of the Dragonfly mission is planned for July 2028 using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. The spacecraft is expected to reach the surface of Titan in December 2034.