NASA’s Dragonfly completes a simulated first flight for its Titan mission
NASA says Dragonfly’s flight software and flight-like avionics completed a comprehensive computer simulation of the rotorcraft’s first flight at Titan.
What the record says
The test at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory combined flight software and avionics with simulated sensor data, including navigation cameras, inertial measurement units and lidar. The sequence modeled finding a safe landing site, circling back and landing. NASA says further tests will use the actual flight system and introduce faults to assess autonomous responses.
Source details and supporting locations.
Practical next step
Read NASA’s mission update for the test’s scope and future milestones.
Limits and what is not established
This was a computer simulation on Earth, not a flight on Titan or confirmation that the spacecraft is ready to launch. NASA lists launch no earlier than 2028 and arrival at Titan in 2034.
Sources checked October 23, 2026. Later notices may change instructions or arrangements.