Saturn Archives

From left, Carlisa Drew, Seth Harvey, Anthony Fanelli, Emory Toomey and TJ Lee conduct power and functional testing on Dragonfly’s Integrated Electronics Module (IEM) and Power Switching Unit (PSU) in the cleanroom at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. The IEM is Dragonfly’s “brain,” containing the spacecraft’s core avionics; the PSUs control the flow of power to Dragonfly’s instruments and systems. NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Saturn, Titan, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Dragonfly Astrobiology Mission Begins Rotorcraft Integration, Testing Stage

by Keith CowingMarch 14, 2026March 14, 2026

NASA Dragonfly’s integration and testing – the activities involved in assembling the mission’s rotorcraft lander and testing it for the rigors of launch and extreme conditions of space – is […]

Sketch of the MT strategy, highlighting the dynamical models used in the distinct phases of the tour. -- math.DS

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Dione, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mimas, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Rhea, Saturn, Tethys, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Low-Energy and Low-Thrust Exploration Tour of Saturnian Moons with Full Lunar Surface Coverage

by Keith CowingMarch 11, 2026March 11, 2026

This study presents the trajectory design for a mission touring Saturn’s Inner Large Moons (Rhea, Dione, Tethys, Enceladus, and Mimas) engineered to meet observational requirements, including full surface coverage, while […]

This view was taken from above the ringplane and looks toward the unlit side of the rings. Here, the probe gazes upon Titan in the distance beyond Saturn and its dark and graceful rings -- NASA/JPL/SSI

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Hyperion, Impact events, Press Release, Saturn, Titan

Saturn’s Moon Titan Could Have Formed in a Merger of Two Old Moons

by Keith CowingFebruary 11, 2026

Recent research suggests that Saturn’s bright rings and its largest moon, Titan, may have both originated in collisions among its moons.

Illustration of the electrodynamic interaction between Enceladus and Saturn. The primary Alfvén wing is shown in blue, and the reflected Alfvén wings in magenta. The arrow indicates the corotation direction of the Enceladus plasma torus. Relative sizes of Saturn and Enceladus are not to scale. Design & Animation: Fabrice Etifier - École Polytechnique.

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Saturn

Enceladus Trails A Wake Of Electromagnetic Ripples That Extend Over Half A Million Kilometers

by Keith CowingFebruary 9, 2026February 9, 2026

A major study by an international team of researchers using data from the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft has revealed a lattice-like structure of crisscrossing reflected waves that flow downstream behind the […]

Locations of camera components within the Dragonfly spacecraft. -- astro-ph.IM

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Saturn, Titan, Tricorders & Sensors

Dragonfly Mission: Optomechanical Design Of The DragonCam Microscopic Camera

by Keith CowingJanuary 22, 2026January 22, 2026

The DragonCam Microscopic Camera is an instrument being developed for NASA’s Dragonfly mission [1] to Saturn’s moon Titan.

One set of images taken by Huygens is pictured here showing the view from 2 km altitude. It is in Mercator projection, so the N–S/E–W directions cross at right angles but surface areas appear distorted. Sky above horizon is modfied for formatting.- ESA/Astrobiology.com Original image

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Saturn, Status Report, Titan, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Absence Of A Subsurface Ocean On Titan Indicated By Cassini Data

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2026January 7, 2026

The Cassini spacecraft orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, performing over a hundred flybys of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.

Enceladus Vent Explorer: Phase II concept. Credits: Masahiro Ono

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Saturn, Status Report

A Roadmap For The Exploration Of Enceladus

by Keith CowingJanuary 5, 2026January 2, 2026

This paper provides key hypotheses to guide future missions to Enceladus for the current decadal cycle and beyond. Enceladus is a high priority target for the fields of astrobiology and […]

Plumes on Enceladus (artist concept)– NASA JPL

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Saturn, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Cassini Study Found Organics From An Ocean Inside Enceladus

by Keith CowingNovember 19, 2025November 19, 2025

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured dramatic plumes, both large and small, spray water ice out from many locations along the famed ‘tiger stripes’ near the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

Orbital evolution of satellites, in the relative system, to Constellation Titan -- Satellite Navigation

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Saturn, Status Report, Titan

Flower-like Satellite Constellations To Guide Future Missions Around TitanSatellite Navigation

by Keith CowingNovember 12, 2025November 12, 2025

Exploring Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, presents unique orbital challenges due to its dense atmosphere, gravitational perturbations, and limited sunlight. A new study proposes an innovative satellite constellation architecture based on […]