NASA confirmed on Tuesday that the delayed Dragonfly drone mission to Saturn’s moon Titan is set to launch in July 2028.

This decision allows the mission team to move forward with final design and testing.

Built by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the car-sized Dragonfly will reach Titan in 2034, where it will spend 2.5 years performing hops every Titan day to study prebiotic chemical processes.

Titan’s resemblance to early Earth makes it a target for scientists studying the origins of life.

The mission’s budget has increased to $3.35 billion due to various factors including design changes, supply-chain issues, and the need for a heavy-lift launch vehicle, Space.com reported.

Despite the delays, components of the drone have been tested on Earth, and NASA’s confirmation marks progress toward the mission’s final stages.

Nicky Fox, NASA’s associate administrator, expressed excitement about pushing the boundaries of rotorcraft exploration beyond Earth.

Written by B.C. Begley