Helping Dragonfly survive: What will this NASA drone encounter in Titan's atmosphere?

Saturn’s largest moon Titan is rich with organic substances, and may contain clues to the beginning of life in the universe. In 2028, NASA is sending a first-of-its-kind helicopter called Dragonfly to explore Titan’s unique surface. But before it begins flying, the craft has to successfully make it through Titan’s super-dense atmosphere. That’s where Purdue University combustion researchers Chris Goldenstein and Vishnu Radhakrishna come in. They are determining what kinds of shock waves a Titan atmospheric entry will generate, and how Dragonfly’s heat shield can withstand the incredible temperatures to survive and land on the surface.

All Dragonfly footage courtesy NASA/JHU-APL. Mars entry animations courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech