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NRO Advances AI, Quantum Sensing to Support Growing Data Demands
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NRO Director Chris Scolese. NRO is prioritizing AI and quantum sensing to accelerate processing of space-based data.

National Reconnaissance Office Director Chris Scolese, a five-time Wash100 Award winner, revealed that the agency is prioritizing advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum sensing, to accelerate the delivery and analysis of space-based intelligence data.

NRO Advances AI, Quantum Sensing to Support Growing Data Demands

AI is rapidly transforming how the government and military process data, as evidenced by the NRO’s focus on leveraging advanced technologies. Learn more at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18. Sign up now!

How Is the NRO Evolving Its Satellite Architecture?

Speaking at the Goddard Space Science Symposium hosted by the American Astronautical Society on Thursday, Scolese acknowledged that its customers need faster access to information. To meet this need, the NRO launched more than 200 satellites over the past few years to expand the capability, resilience and speed of its overhead systems.

Many of these satellites are part of a proliferated architecture, enabling multiple spacecraft to operate together, providing faster revisit times and increased capacity to collect imagery and intelligence data.

What Role Does Artificial Intelligence Play?

Scolese has been urging government and industry partners to take full advantage of the NRO’s expanding space and ground architecture to facilitate data collection. But with satellite networks gathering more data, processing and delivery have become key priorities. The NRO director noted that advanced computing, particularly AI and machine learning, helps manage, organize and verify data for diverse users, such as military personnel, policymakers, analysts, first responders and environmentalists. Because these users need information in different formats, AI helps organize and present data while ensuring it can be traced and verified.

Why Is NRO Investing in Quantum Sensing Technologies?

Alongside AI, the NRO is exploring quantum sensing technologies and working with commercial companies and universities on related research in areas such as quantum photonics, detectors, radio frequency sensing and laser technologies. According to Scolese, these technologies could enable highly accurate detection and new insights for scientific research and policy analysis.

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Pentagon, UK MOD to Establish Common Data Standards for Counter-Drone Technologies
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Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. Driscoll said establishing common counter-UAS standards will strengthen collective security

The Department of War and the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence have signed a joint declaration of intent to establish common data standards for counter-unmanned aerial systems, or C-UAS, to enable data-sharing with allies and accelerate deployment of new capabilities.

The Joint Interagency Task Force 401, or JIATF-401, led the effort and will adopt the new data standard as a requirement for all systems entering its C-UAS marketplace, the Army said Thursday.

Established in 2025, JIATF-401 is tasked to deliver counter-drone capabilities to protect warfighters and U.S. personnel.

How Will Common Data Standards Impact Counter-Drone Operations?

According to Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401, the lack of common data standards has been a barrier to the integration of advanced capabilities. He added that establishing common standards provides a faster way for vendors to provide their technologies to warfighters.

Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, a 2026 Wash100 winner, also commented that the standards will strengthen U.S. alliances and the defense industrial base.

“This agreement is a prime example of our commitment to modernization and strengthening our alliances,” Driscoll stated. “By establishing common standards with key allies like the United Kingdom, we not only enhance our collective security but also strengthen our defense industrial base and create new opportunities for streamlined foreign military sales.”

The Army leader also shared plans to expand the effort to five other nations. By mid-2026, he said up to 25 countries would be able to acquire C-UAS capabilities from the marketplace.

What Is the JIATF-401 Counter-UAS Marketplace?

JIATF-401’s C-UAS marketplace is intended to streamline how DOW and interagency partners evaluate equipment by providing access to validated technologies and performance data.

In February, DOW said the marketplace reached initial operational capability. Its catalog currently offers over 1,600 C-UAS systems and components.

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Daniel Morgan Named DOT Chief Product & Technology Officer
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Daniel Morgan. DOT’s first chief chief data officer at DOT has been named chief product and technology officer.

Daniel Morgan, the Department of Transportation’s inaugural chief data officer, has been appointed as DOT’s chief product and technology officer and has joined the Senior Executive Service. 

In a LinkedIn post, Morgan said the move marks a new chapter after more than a decade overseeing DOT’s enterprise data strategy. He also highlighted the collaborative nature of his work, noting that many of the recognitions earned during his tenure reflected team accomplishments across the department.

“Data will always be a team sport, and I am proud of all we got done – inside DOT, across government and with the Chief Data Officers’ Council,” he added.

What Were Morgan’s Responsibilities as DOT’s Chief Data Officer?

As DOT’s first chief data officer, Morgan led the department’s data program and data compliance efforts.

In this capacity, he managed DOT’s data strategy, oversaw data quality initiatives, and supported data sharing and development of data products to inform decision-making across the department.

Who Is Daniel Morgan?

Morgan is a federal data leader who joined DOT in 2014 after serving as an associate director at PhaseOne Consulting Group, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He previously served as vice chair of the CDO Council from 2020 to 2023.

Earlier in his career, he held managerial and senior consultancy roles at Accenture, RGS Associates and SENSA Solutions. As a management consultant, he advised clients on IT governance, enterprise architecture and open government initiatives.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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Aretum’s Rohit Gupta Soars as Northrop Grumman’s Kathy Warden Gains Ground in Wash100 Popular Vote
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Top 10 Leaderboard in the 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote Competition week 5

The 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote race is deep into the middle of the competition with supporters across the government contracting community continuing to rally behind their favorite leaders. 

The Wash100 Popular Vote is an annual contest where the GovCon community can show their support for the most influential government and industry leaders recognized by the prestigious Wash100 Award.

Hung Cao, under secretary of the Navy, has widened his lead and now holds 2,206 votes, maintaining a commanding first-place position as the competition heads deeper into its latest week.

But the race is far from over—and several leaders remain within striking distance as voting activity continues to surge. Vote for your favorite Wash100 winners today to see them advance!

Rubio, Gabbard Battle for Top Spots

Holding steady in second place is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has earned 1,541 votes so far, but Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem are right on his heels.

The battle for the top five remains one of the most closely watched dynamics in this year’s competition. Will we see industry break in? Cast your votes today!  

How Is the Top 10 Changing? 

Beyond the top tier, the competition is intensifying between industry and government as executives and officials climb the leaderboard.

Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels is holding strong in sixth place with 931 votes, followed by Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in seventh place with 860 votes.

Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler holds eighth place with 490 votes, but the fight for the top 10 is tightening.

Rohit Gupta, president of Aretum, is one of the biggest movers in the latest rankings, jumping three spots to ninth place with 404 votes as supporters rally behind him.

Just behind him is AT&T Public Sector President Tang Pham, who now sits in 10th place with 403 votes — only a single vote separating the two.

Who Will Excel in Tight Races Across the Board? 

Several leaders are clustered closely together just outside the top 10, meaning a surge of votes could quickly shake up the rankings.

Gen. Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force currently holds 392 votes, followed by SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh with 361 votes.

Seven-time Wash100 winner, Parsons Chair, President and CEO Carey Smith ranks 13th with 327 votes, while Department of War CISO Kirsten Davies follows closely with 302 votes.

Other GovCon leaders drawing strong support in the vote include 2025 Popular Vote winner DeEtte Gray, president of U.S. operations at CACI, who currently ranks 15th with 297 votes. Close behind is Stephanie Mango, president of CGI Federal, in 16th place with 285 votes, while John Mengucci, president and CEO of CACI, holds 17th place with 269 votes, reflecting continued engagement from the GovCon community as the competition progresses.

With many candidates separated by fewer than 50 votes, the middle of the leaderboard remains one of the most energetic parts of the competition.

Every Vote Can Shift the Rankings

Further down the list, several leaders are still making moves.

Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, climbed two spots to reach 137 votes, while Northrop Grumman Chair, CEO and President Kathy Warden moved up one position with 133 votes.

Srini Attili, CEO of SAIC, currently holds 18th place with 229 votes, narrowly ahead of John Phelan, Secretary of the Navy, who sits in 19th place with 228 votes, underscoring how tightly grouped candidates are in the middle of the leaderboard.

John Heneghan, president of ECS, ranks 20th with 213 votes, followed by Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of the U.S. Army, in 21st place with 204 votes. Just behind him is Michael Duffey, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment at the Department of War, who currently holds 22nd place with 194 votes.

Further down the leaderboard, Matt Tait, CEO of ManTech, sits in 23rd place with 174 votes, followed by La’Naia Jones, chief information officer at the Central Intelligence Agency, in 24th place with 166 votes. Sonny Bhagowalia, assistant secretary and chief information officer at the Department of Homeland Security, currently holds 25th place with 160 votes.

Rounding out this group, Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency stands in 26th place with 150 votes, while Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, holds 27th place with 137 votes, reflecting the broad representation of defense, intelligence and industry leaders competing in the Wash100 Popular Vote.

Will You Cast Your Vote in the Wash100 Popular Vote? 

The Wash100 Popular Vote gives the GovCon community an opportunity to support the leaders shaping the future of government and industry.

With rankings shifting daily and several tight races forming across the leaderboard, every vote can make a difference.

Visit the Wash100 Popular Vote page today to cast your ballot and help determine which leaders rise to the top of the 2026 Wash100 rankings.

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Army Expands Use of Enterprise Contracts to Streamline Procurement
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U.S. Army logo. The Army is expanding its use of enterprise contracts to streamline procurement.

The U.S. Army is expanding its use of enterprise contracts to streamline procurement, promote competition and leverage enterprisewide buying power as part of efforts to modernize acquisition.

Army Expands Use of Enterprise Contracts to Streamline Procurement

The Army’s push toward enterprise contracts reflects ongoing changes in how the service approaches acquisition and modernization. Reserve your seat at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Army Summit on June 18 to hear from government and industry leaders discussing priorities, technology developments and other trends shaping the military service.

The service said Wednesday it has awarded 14 enterprise contracts in the past eight months, consolidating 118 separate agreements into unified vehicles and enabling the Army to achieve an 88 percent reduction in total contracts.

According to the Army, the contract consolidation reduces administrative workload, eliminates redundant procurement processes and could generate up to $5.3 billion in savings over the life of the initial contracts.

How Do Enterprise Contracts Transform Army Procurement?

Enterprise contracts allow the Army to purchase technology and services under a single enterprisewide agreement with pre-negotiated pricing and terms, reducing the need for repeated negotiations.

“Our strategic shift to enterprise contracts is fundamental to how we modernize the force,” said Brent Ingraham, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology. “By consolidating hundreds of disparate contracts, we are leveraging the Army’s buying power at an enterprise scale, which has potential to yield billions in taxpayer savings and streamline acquisition processes.”

The contracts also use an “a la carte” purchasing model, allowing program managers to order only the commercial products or services needed. 

Danielle Moyer, executive director of Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, said the Army uses its collective buying power to negotiate significant discounts and overall spending reductions, noting that the terms and prices are pre-negotiated and available to all users without additional fees.

“It creates fairness and predictability across all parties and avoids industry having to answer the same questions to different contracting officers within the Army on the same product they sell over and over,” Moyer added.

What’s Next for Army Enterprise Contracting?

The Army said the next phase of enterprise contracting could consolidate hundreds more agreements, particularly for software and digital platforms.

“We will continue to aggressively expand this model across the force, especially for our most critical software and digital platforms, as it is essential to driving modernization and delivering predictable, rapid capabilities into the hands of our warfighters,” said Leonel Garciga, the Army’s chief information officer and a two-time Wash100 awardee.

How Do Enterprise Contracts Align With the Army’s Acquisition Modernization Efforts?

The strategy aligns with broader Army modernization initiatives, including the Army Contract Writing System, which replaced the legacy Standard Procurement System; the creation of portfolio acquisition executives to consolidate oversight of acquisition activities; and the Pathway for Innovation and Technology office, which works to accelerate collaboration with nontraditional vendors and adoption of emerging technologies.

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National Guard’s Chief Data & AI Officer on AI, Disaster Response and the Future of Mission Readiness
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Delester Brown. The National Guard Bureau CDAO spoke to ExecutiveGov for an interview about AI's capabilities and potential.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from concept to mission-critical capability for the National Guard—and industry will play a major role in making it operational. In an exclusive interview with ExecutiveGov, Dr. Delester Brown, chief data and AI officer of the National Guard Bureau, revealed how the Guard is prioritizing AI-driven tools for object detection, predictive analytics and data-enabled risk modeling to improve disaster response and operational decision-making, signaling major opportunities for technology providers supporting defense and homeland missions.

National Guard’s Chief Data & AI Officer on AI, Disaster Response and the Future of Mission ReadinessHear more from Dr. Brown during the Operationalizing AI at Scale-Bridging the Gap from Prototype to Mission Impact panel discussion at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18. He’ll discuss his perspective on how defense organizations are approaching AI adoption in practical, mission-focused ways, enabling interoperable ecosystems and operationalizing trustworthy data. Don’t wait — reserve your seat today! 

How Does AI Support Disaster Response and Operational Awareness? 

One of the National Guard’s most immediate use cases for AI lies in disaster response, where speed, visibility and resource coordination can mean the difference between life and death.

Dr. Brown pointed to object detection and asset relocation as key capabilities the Guard is exploring.

“One thing that you’ll hear me always staying focused on would be asset relocation and things like object detection,” he said, noting that the goal is to quickly identify and respond to people in danger during emergencies.

AI-enabled tools can help identify individuals in dangerous situations and direct personnel and equipment to the right locations more efficiently. As Dr. Brown explained, responders need the ability to understand the context of what they are seeing in real time: “We want to know the difference between a person hanging out on the roof [during] a flood [or] a person that may be underneath a collapsed building or structure.”

These capabilities extend beyond simple image recognition. By analyzing video feeds and data from aviation assets, AI tools can enhance situational awareness with augmented reality overlays, helping responders understand blast radiuses, environmental hazards or the impact of infrastructure failures such as pipeline ruptures. These insights help leaders determine how terrain and infrastructure might change during a crisis and where resources should be positioned ahead of time. 

Ultimately, these tools are designed to give users, like guardsmen, real-time decision support. Dr. Brown envisions a future where guardsmen can monitor evolving risk on a tablet or dashboard, allowing them to quickly assess how an emerging event, such as a regional power outage, might affect resourcing and readiness.

How Is the National Guard Implementing AI?

While AI is often discussed in terms of automation, Dr. Brown emphasizes a different concept: “amplified intelligence.”

Rather than focusing on AI as a replacement for human decision-making, he sees the technology as a way to enhance the expertise of leaders and personnel across the National Guard’s 54 states and territories. His role, he explained, is to advise senior leadership on how emerging technologies can strengthen mission effectiveness and ensure resources are applied to impactful use cases.

“I’m looking to enhance who we are — the best of you, of our government, the best of our department, the best of the National Guard.”

Dr. Brown is particularly focused on democratizing access to these tools, expressing, “I want to be able to have everyone at every echelon to be able to use [AI].” By implementing no-code environments and user-friendly systems, the Guard aims to ensure AI capabilities are accessible to personnel at every level, not just technical specialists. 

Equally important is maintaining an open and interoperable ecosystem. The Guard’s unique environment includes soldiers, airmen, civilians, state and local partners, tribal organizations, and academic collaborators. Any technology introduced into this ecosystem must be flexible and vendor-agnostic so that all stakeholders can participate and benefit.

Don’t miss Dr. Delester Brown in conversation with Artificial Intelligence Officer of the Defense Logistics Agency Ruksana Lodi and Robert Hammer, Deputy Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Administration, 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Reserve your spot today! 

How Is Emerging AI Shaping Defense Operations? 

Looking ahead, Dr. Brown sees several areas where AI will transform defense operations:

Supply chain intelligence: AI could track components across their entire lifecycle, from small parts to major platforms, improving logistics planning and maintenance readiness. Brown described the potential to follow everything “from the nuts and bolts … all the way onto maybe an aircraft or a tank,” tracking how those components move through deployments and maintenance cycles.

Cybersecurity operations: AI will increasingly play a dual role in cyber defense, where human operators working with AI systems must counter adversaries who are also leveraging AI-driven tools. Brown described this future environment as “AI and human versus AI and human.”

Edge-enabled decision support: Future systems may provide AI assistance directly to personnel in the field. Brown envisions a digital assistant that acts as a mission companion, saying he hopes one day there will be “a [tool] that is your battle buddy that flows with you in and out of combat… and helps enhance how you complete your mission.”

Digital twin technology:  Dr. Brown also highlighted the promise of digital twins for disaster recovery and operational resilience. By simulating infrastructure and operational environments in advance, organizations can reduce recovery times dramatically. If digital twins can shrink outages “from what used to be days and weeks and possibly months… to minutes and seconds, then we’re doing our job,” he said.

Continuing the Conversation on AI’s Future

Despite the rapid pace of technological advancement, Dr. Brown believes one factor remains essential: ongoing dialogue between government, industry and academia.

Open conversations—such as those taking place at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit—help spark new ideas, build partnerships and ensure that emerging technologies are applied responsibly and effectively across national security missions.

“We must continue to have the dialogue and discussion,” Brown said. “We can’t lose our spark.”

With innovations advancing faster than ever, he believes the next breakthrough may be closer than many expect. “The next is just around the corner.”

Join Dr. Brown and many other federal chief AI or information officers at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit, on March 18th, to learn more about how government leaders are thinking about the future of AI in their organizations, their key pain points and priorities. Register today! 

National Guard’s Chief Data & AI Officer on AI, Disaster Response and the Future of Mission Readiness

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DOW, ODNI Seek Proposals for AI Evaluation Harness & Benchmark Framework
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Department of War seal. DOW seeks proposals for an evaluation harness and benchmarks for artificial intelligence systems.

The Department of War, in coordination with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is seeking industry proposals for an evaluation harness and government-defined benchmarks that would enable rigorous, reproducible and vendor-agnostic testing of artificial intelligence systems against criteria specified by the government.

DOW, ODNI Seek Proposals for AI Evaluation Harness & Benchmark Framework

Sign up for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18 to hear Cameron Stanley, chief digital and AI officer at the Department of War, and other federal, defense and industry leaders discuss the impact of AI, machine learning and automation.

What Features Are Required in the Evaluation Harness?

According to the commercial solutions opening notice published by the Defense Innovation Unit, the War Department is pursuing an evaluation harness that connects to AI models, facilitates evaluation workflows and measures their performance against benchmarks. The harness should support human-in-the-loop, agentic and adversarial evaluations. It should simulate an integrated environment to continuously test and monitor an AI model performance in challenging settings. Furthermore, the harness should generate evaluation reports and manage benchmark execution.

What Standards Must the New Benchmarks Meet?

Vendors must provide methodologies for creating benchmarks across unclassified, secret and top secret workflows that are resistant to gaming, adaptable as requirements and AI models evolve, and supported by training materials. These benchmarks should identify capabilities for particular missions, break those capabilities into measurable tasks and create realistic evaluation scenarios. They should also define clear scoring criteria, establish fair performance baselines using open models and ensure benchmarks are valid, reliable and capable of distinguishing different levels of performance.

Why Is the Government Expanding AI Evaluation Capabilities?

The government is pursuing new evaluation systems to address the rapid advancement of AI technologies. The new infrastructure should be able to evaluate newly released AI models against mission-specific benchmarks. In addition, the system should assess human-machine collaboration to determine whether joint operations yield better mission outcomes than either humans or automated systems alone.

The effort, dubbed “Mystic Depot,” follows calls by Pentagon leadership to accelerate the adoption of AI across warfighting and administrative operations, DefenseScoop reported. Interested vendors can submit their responses to the CSO by March 24.

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DHA Introduces Data & Innovation Strategy to Support Military Health Operations
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Jesus Caban, chief data and analytics officer at DHA. Caban said the strategy will help the agency address problems sooner

The Defense Health Agency has launched a new Data and Innovation Strategy to improve warfighter readiness by strengthening how the agency manages information across military health operations.

DHA said Wednesday the strategy is designed to give warfighters and military medical leaders faster access to trusted data and support decision-making.

“This strategy will equip DHA leaders to develop interventions and address complex problems sooner and with greater confidence,” Jesus Caban, the agency’s chief data and analytics officer, stated at a recent event. “Ultimately, this translates to a healthier, more decisive, and better-equipped fighting force.”

DHA Introduces Data & Innovation Strategy to Support Military Health Operations

Caban is a panelist at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18. The DHA official will share insights on model orchestration for mission-specific data during the Does Your AI Play Well with Others? panel alongside other military leaders and industry experts. Sign up now to secure your seat.

How Will DHA’s Data and Innovation Strategy Support Military Health?

According to DHA, the strategy is built around the principle that better data enables better outcomes.

The strategy can enable the agency to provide a real-time view of key combat support resources, including blood inventories, medical bed capacity, expertise and training available through the Joint Trauma System, and the availability of medical personnel for contingency planning.

The strategy also supports data-sharing efforts with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Lisa Rosenmerkel, chief data officer at the VA, said data helps build trust in patient care decisions and improves understanding of patient populations and care modalities.

Why Does the Strategy Matter for the Department’s AI-First Push?

DHA said it is building centralized and authoritative data sources that can serve as a foundation for more advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools. The effort aligns with the Department of War’s broader push to become an “AI-first” enterprise.

In a January memorandum, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, a two-time Wash100 winner, directed the department to accelerate AI adoption across operations, intelligence and enterprise missions to strengthen military advantage.

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INL’s MARVEL Microreactor Moves Forward With DOE Safety Approval
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DOE approved a safety analysis for INL’s MARVEL microreactor.

Idaho National Laboratory’s MARVEL project has reached a pivotal development phase following DOE approval of its safety blueprint, a move that provides a standardized template for the next generation of commercial microreactors.

The Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis, or PDSA, approval allows researchers to advance toward testing of the MARVEL system, short for Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation, a small-scale nuclear reactor designed to support research, technology demonstrations and industry experimentation.

What Is the MARVEL Microreactor Project?

Developed under the DOE Microreactor Program, MARVEL uses a sodium-potassium coolant and is designed to generate roughly 85 kW to 100 kW of thermal energy and about 20 kW of electricity. Researchers will use the system to study microreactor behavior and evaluate potential applications, including combining the MARVEL reactor with a modular data center and using it to evaluate high-performance sensor systems that could help track the performance of advanced reactors.

MARVEL, expected to be operational by late 2027, will eventually connect to INL’s nuclear microgrid.

What Does the DOE Safety Approval Enable?

The PDSA defines the safety framework for MARVEL’s first experimental configuration. The initial phase will involve a dry criticality test, a controlled, near-zero-power experiment that enables researchers to examine how the reactor core behaves before progressing to higher-power operations.

“This is more than just a regulatory requirement — it’s a blueprint for the future of advanced nuclear,” said Abdalla Abou-Jaoude, MARVEL microreactor lead at INL.

“By receiving approval for our safety documentation, we are now able to share this template with developers to learn from our process and streamline their own timelines,” he added.

The next stage of the program will focus on completing final safety documentation, assembling the reactor system and preparing for fuel loading as the demonstration moves closer to operational testing.

Which Teams Are Selected to Conduct MARVEL Experiments?

INL previously selected five teams — Amazon Web Services; DCX USA and Arizona State University; General Electric Vernova; Radiation Detection Technologies; and Shepherd Power, NOV and ConocoPhillips — to conduct early research projects using the reactor testbed.

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NASA’s Titan-Bound Dragonfly Rotorcraft Enters Integration, Testing Phase
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Dragonfly mission identifier. NASA’s Dragonfly mission has moved into the integration and testing phase.

NASA’s Dragonfly mission has reached a new development stage as engineers begin assembling and testing the rotorcraft lander that will explore Saturn’s moon, Titan.

The work is taking place at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, where teams are integrating major spacecraft components and preparing the system to withstand launch and deep-space conditions, NASA said Tuesday.

Dragonfly is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2028 and will travel for roughly six years before arriving at Titan to conduct a multi-site exploration of the moon’s chemistry, geology and atmosphere.

What Systems Are Being Tested First?

Initial integration activities have focused on verifying the operation of key spacecraft electronics. Engineers recently conducted power and functional tests on the integrated electronics module, which contains the spacecraft’s core avionics, and the power switching units, which regulate the distribution of electrical power, after connecting them to the rotorcraft’s wiring system.

How Will Dragonfly Explore Titan?

Dragonfly is designed as a nuclear-powered rotorcraft roughly the size of a small vehicle. Unlike traditional landers that remain in a single location, Dragonfly will fly between sites on Titan’s surface during its science mission.

The vehicle’s rotors will allow it to travel across Titan’s terrain and investigate multiple geologically interesting regions, including dune fields and impact sites such as Selk Crater.

“Dragonfly isn’t a mission to detect life — it’s a mission to investigate the chemistry that came before biology here on Earth,” said Zibi Turtle, Dragonfly principal investigator and planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins APL. 

What Happens Next for the Dragonfly Mission?

Integration and testing at APL will continue through 2026 and early 2027. Dragonfly will move to Lockheed Martin Space in Colorado later in the process for system-level testing before returning to APL for final environmental testing designed to simulate space conditions.

The rotorcraft is expected to travel to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in 2028 to prepare for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Dragonfly was selected in 2019 as part of NASA’s New Frontiers program, which funds planetary science missions designed to address major questions about the solar system.

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