Nasa's Dragonfly mission to Saturn's Titan moon delayed

Covid pandemic sets back exploration that aims to shed light on origin of life on Earth

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Nasa has delayed the launch of its Dragonfly rotorcraft by 12 months. Citing budget pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the agency's planetary science division will now target 2027 to launch the mission to Titan, Saturn's mysterious moon.

Titan is unique because it is the only moon in the solar system to possess a dense atmosphere. Its nitrogen-rich atmosphere contains clouds of methane, which can fall as rain or even snow.