Name: Dragonfly — Falcon Heavy
Start: 2028-07-05T00:00:00Z
End: 2028-07-05T00:00:00Z
Location: Launch Complex 39A

Question 1

What rocket is launching Dragonfly?

Accepted Answer

Dragonfly is launching on the Falcon Heavy.

Question 2

Who is launching Dragonfly?

Accepted Answer

Dragonfly is being launched by SpaceX, a commercial launch provider founded in 2002.

Question 3

Where is Dragonfly launching from?

Accepted Answer

Dragonfly is launching from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Dragonfly heading to?

Accepted Answer

Dragonfly is heading to Heliocentric N/A (Helio-N/A).

Question 5

Is the Falcon Heavy reusable?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Falcon Heavy is designed to be reused, with boosters that can fly multiple missions.

Question 6

How many times has the Falcon Heavy flown?

Accepted Answer

The Falcon Heavy has launched 12 times to date, with 12 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Dragonfly mission?

Accepted Answer

Dragonfly is NASA's 4th New Frontiers program mission that will send a robotic rotorcraft to fly within the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan to sample materials and determine surface composition in different geologic settings, advancing humanity's search for the building blocks of life.

The craft is a large quadcopter with double rotors with mass of about 875 kg, featuring rotors of 1.35 m in diameter. It can fly through several kilometers within an hour and will perform 1 flight per Titan day (~16 Earth days). During the planned 3.3-year mission, Dragonfly is expected to cover distance up to several hundred km.

Dragonfly will use a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) to power its instruments.

The planned science instrument suite is:
* DragonCam: Camera Suite
* DrACO: Drill for Acquisition of Complex Organics
* DraMS: Mass Spectrometer
* DraGNS: Gamma-ray and Neutron Spectrometer
* DraGMet: Geophysics and Meteorology

Question 8

Where is the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center is on Merritt Island, Florida, immediately north of Cape Canaveral. Named for President Kennedy in 1963, it has been the United States' primary human-spaceflight launch site since the 1960s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX leases Launch Complex 39A for Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and crewed Dragon missions, while NASA launches the Space Launch System for the Artemis Moon programme from Launch Complex 39B.

Question 10

Did Apollo and the Space Shuttle launch from Kennedy?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Launch Complex 39 pads sent every Apollo Moon mission and every Space Shuttle crew on their way, including Apollo 11 in 1969 and the first shuttle flight, STS-1, in 1981.

Question 11

What's the difference between the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

They are separate, neighbouring sites. Kennedy is NASA's centre on Merritt Island; Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, just to the south, is run by the U.S. Space Force. Together they make up Florida's Space Coast.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

The closest public viewing is from the ticketed Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which runs launch-day bus packages. Free off-site views are best from Playalinda Beach and the Titusville riverfront.

Dragonfly

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 39A

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions