Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.
NASA’s Dragonfly — a robotic rotorcraft-lander that’s designed to hop across the surface of an extraterrestrial body — is set to voyage deep into the solar system to explore Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, in 2026. Planetary scientist Elizabeth “Zibi” Turtle shares how studying this mysterious moon that’s thought to resemble the early Earth could bring us closer to understanding the habitability of other planets — and the origin of life itself.
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a Media Request here:
JRcat
September 17, 2020 at 4:34 pm
It’s so refreshing to listen to an intelligent woman talk about real science instead of all these woke, liberal feminists who only talk about diversity, mono culture the patriarchy etcetera, and their feelings about it.
Marco
September 17, 2020 at 4:52 pm
To me your comment clearly exemplifies why a feminist discourse is essential in our culture.
JRcat
September 17, 2020 at 6:42 pm
@Marco Spoken like a true simp!
Des Cuddlebat
September 17, 2020 at 4:35 pm
[generic comment to claim that “early” spot]
Michael Hughes
September 17, 2020 at 4:38 pm
Bugger- I will be 76 by then if I haven’t popped my clogs!! Can’t you go a bit faster?
Shahbaz Hussain
September 17, 2020 at 7:12 pm
Hopefully you’ll stick around until we’ve had a closer look at Venus after the new signs of life there.
mschei23
September 17, 2020 at 10:20 pm
Also new, faster and cheaper rockets will be developed till then. So plenty of reason to stay optimistic but also stay healthy! 🙂
Alex Yilmaz
September 17, 2020 at 4:55 pm
Titan is weirdly scary.
Shaun Rankin
September 17, 2020 at 5:02 pm
Lol you can try as hard as you want to deny God and his glorious creation. Space is a distraction, designed to chip away at human minds limited ability to understand. Shame on you, find faith, give glory to God and get right in your hearts. Stop lying lol nobody’s going anywhere you try to tell us, you can’t even get to the moon. High earth orbit only, your all liars.
Denise Reynolds
September 17, 2020 at 5:05 pm
we should fix issues on earth before we challenge the outerspaces
Mike C
September 17, 2020 at 5:09 pm
Yes because we have moved so far to fix issues on earth over the past several decades.
SaYaN SaYaN
September 17, 2020 at 5:29 pm
Very good NASA
Dav Mac
September 17, 2020 at 5:48 pm
2034 ? We definitely need faster ships, to explore the solar system, if we are going to take a break about the killing each other thing, we should be able to go out with a nice spaceship.
Fabio Fernandes
September 17, 2020 at 5:51 pm
Finally a TED talk that isn’t leftist garbage 🙂 Thank you!
hdmat101
September 17, 2020 at 6:30 pm
“leftist garbage”~sounds like someone can’t handle differing views and beliefs you snowflake.
Mark Haunert
September 17, 2020 at 7:36 pm
@hdmat101 silly orange lovers 😆👍
Mark Haunert
September 17, 2020 at 7:39 pm
Can you give an example of just one video you call left and garbage.
Fabio Fernandes
September 17, 2020 at 8:04 pm
@Mark Haunert Just as example, the ones by Nita Mosby Tyler, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Michael Sandel only 2 days ago.
Anti Status Quo
September 17, 2020 at 5:59 pm
Could it teach us how to end it instead?
Vikash JAISWAL
September 17, 2020 at 6:05 pm
What you all think can we reach titan🤔
Dans Shade
September 17, 2020 at 6:05 pm
TED as it used to be. What a pleasant surprise! Thanks!
Eduard Constantinescu
September 17, 2020 at 6:13 pm
I hope I will not die until we land on titan, can you guys please speed it up for me!
Roland Gerard
September 17, 2020 at 6:26 pm
The God of the bible is the creator of life.
Theo
September 17, 2020 at 6:39 pm
Saturn should deny visa access to humans because of how much we have destroyed the earth. I would not trust the human aliens if I wear Saturn. God forbid we find another planet we could live we will destroy that one too.
Lauren Elizabeth
September 17, 2020 at 6:47 pm
I lost it when she said octocopter
Siegfried Sijaev
September 17, 2020 at 7:10 pm
How is that thing able to fly, if there is no air?
Francisco Rios
September 17, 2020 at 7:12 pm
I just want to appreciate that titanquakes exist 😁
Mikeg1 .1
September 17, 2020 at 7:51 pm
Lands in 2034?
Sadly, I may not live to see it.
Mark C
September 17, 2020 at 7:53 pm
Finally a ted talk not pushing an extreme left wing SJW agenda
Tineke Knol
September 17, 2020 at 11:47 pm
calm down, snowflake.
Moe
September 17, 2020 at 10:22 pm
Why does every scientist exploring space quote carl sagan?
walperstyle
September 17, 2020 at 10:47 pm
FINALLY, SCIENCE!!!!! Thanks TED for coming back to reality.
Cree Moon
September 17, 2020 at 11:47 pm
What is “organic sand” ? 1 :47
Goy Goddess 2
September 18, 2020 at 12:00 am
Nope…..NASA LIES.
Welton Barbosa
September 18, 2020 at 12:34 am
this online ted format , is great , congrats
RIDDIM KING
September 18, 2020 at 12:41 am
That is true
Leslie jora
September 18, 2020 at 2:52 am
Why ted sounds like… beginning of ubisoft game’s lol..
Very informative video tho thank u
Pico Picolomini
September 18, 2020 at 2:54 am
I’m grateful for the chance of learning about things far beyond my wildest dreams
thedivineparagon
September 18, 2020 at 3:03 am
One lifetime is just not enough to unravel and solve the mysteries of the universe.
Practical Philosophy
September 18, 2020 at 3:44 am
😂
Sergei Antonov
September 18, 2020 at 3:51 am
Our origin or.. someone’s else future;)
メシのヌシ
September 18, 2020 at 4:01 am
I have just knew about “Titan” from this video. Dragonfly help us understand details about nature on the earth. This is from dragonfly teams’ endeavors. I really respect them.
jp jpolyon
September 18, 2020 at 4:56 am
Do we realy need To know the origine le life ?
Maybe we need To be in péace with life as To able To be humain and not barbarian …..
Mariam Gevorgyan
September 18, 2020 at 5:49 am
I should say astronomy is one of those things that we should continue to learn about it after school, again and again.
Vatian
September 18, 2020 at 5:52 am
2pac said they have money for war but can’t feed the poor. I’d say they have money for war, but can’t support science. Otherwise we would have already achieved a lot of milestones including a space colony by now.
HiddenPalm
September 18, 2020 at 6:34 am
No drone bot to Titan for another 15 years? Space exploration is moving sooooooo slow. I say let’s call back our naval fleet from the shores of Venezuela and use that money to explore Titan allot sooner.
Carolina Raymond
September 18, 2020 at 7:10 am
Fantastic video, Elizabeth Turtle thank you so much for your dedication and work.
Andrew Hall
September 18, 2020 at 7:35 am
It teaches us that americans waste too much money on fake space and too little on getting rid of the orange idiot.
Sh4clouu Gations
September 18, 2020 at 8:59 am
I cant wait till 2037
Sk Fahad Fardin
September 18, 2020 at 9:09 am
ok
Himecha's Jam
September 18, 2020 at 10:12 am
It’s funny how everyone gets excited when a physicist talks about space but when a psychologist talks about gender apparently it’s “too political” and the scientist is just a sell-out.
Sameer Dhanani
September 18, 2020 at 12:56 pm
Don’t call thanos for the party
jodorowsky is underrated
September 18, 2020 at 2:02 pm
bittin sen halil sezai
parayiyenkedi -
September 18, 2020 at 2:03 pm
hardal
Eric Lopez
September 18, 2020 at 2:24 pm
Yay Titan
Crazeee Nigrifagritard
September 18, 2020 at 3:28 pm
Yeah, whatever. I’m not free next summer and my 2021 looks pretty busy too. Not planning on going to Titan.
Evolved Copper
September 18, 2020 at 5:35 pm
TED is killing me with this applause in the not-with-audience presentations. I miss actual talks and yes seeing people
Franklyn Scott
September 18, 2020 at 6:24 pm
Good created men in his image so no damn science can prove anything else to me all lies wake up people stop listen to these liar
Star Storm
September 18, 2020 at 10:20 pm
So you believe God isn’t strong enough to make a simple moon?
askadia
September 18, 2020 at 6:43 pm
Thankmyou.
Mag Carb
September 18, 2020 at 7:12 pm
Why are planets round?
Super Pracion
September 18, 2020 at 7:33 pm
Осуждаю! Вы пропагандисты науки и развития человечества, сами же наступаете на свои грабли! Почему вы стремясь выйти в массы и сделать ted популярным во всём мире позорите себя и имя своей компании, ted – ты скатился, спасибо, теперь в России появились злостные ненавистники вашего движения. (Отсылка к требования закрыть “Ted на русском” – ваших рук дело)
Juan José Guzmán
September 18, 2020 at 11:56 pm
The Sun is another ocean world… Look it up.
Nandan M
September 19, 2020 at 3:06 am
Thank you for sharing.
Cool Boy
September 19, 2020 at 4:03 am
Like WOW
Cool Boy
September 19, 2020 at 4:04 am
It will take 14years for dragon just to reach Titan. Mannnnnnnn
DerpMans Derpyskin
September 19, 2020 at 4:33 am
Maybe you could convince congress to fund more missions of you told them about the literal oceans of fuel.
Romanski
September 23, 2020 at 7:54 am
The problem is that it costs more to extract that fuel than it gives you.
gvi341984
September 19, 2020 at 6:05 am
ESA already had a lander mission on Titan. Just send more missions to Europa instead
Andrew Calvert
September 19, 2020 at 7:10 am
Stop talking crap and lying to unsuspecting ignorant people who have been deceived into believing that they live on a spinning rock in an impossible vacuum
People are waking up so to speak to the lies they have been told since kindergarten
Abdullah Saleem
September 19, 2020 at 6:56 pm
It takes around 6 years to go to titan … why don’t you organize a mission to venus which consume 4 months.
Martingoldfire
September 20, 2020 at 5:38 pm
Because nothing lasts on Venus for long, a few hours maybe. We’ll be living on multiple planets and moons before anything man made will explore the surface of Venus like we do on Mars now. Just ask the old Soviets how their probes fared.
awesome games
September 19, 2020 at 10:56 pm
The rings makes saturn looks fantastic
Chimenum Wobo
September 19, 2020 at 11:49 pm
Just imagine space exploration 300years from nw
Anonymous
September 20, 2020 at 12:05 am
Dragonfly is planning to launch in 2016
Corneles Mokodompit
September 20, 2020 at 8:30 am
Sorry asnking now tim is you adesten you papulason wrong polejay hoax palsu fakta
Black Rose
September 20, 2020 at 1:03 pm
ممنون که به این زودی زیر نویس فارسی رو درست کردید کار هر کی که بوده قابل تحسینه
Black Rose
September 20, 2020 at 1:04 pm
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💯♥️❤️🇮🇷🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🧿💞😍🤩🥰🌹🌷
rene landaverde
September 20, 2020 at 2:37 pm
trully amazing what these people are doing, thank you for your contribution to the advancement of the intelectual development of life!!
ronkirk50
September 20, 2020 at 5:41 pm
As a retired engineer who took a planetary geology class in college, I find his is all very exciting, BUT I’m more concerned over our utter disregard for the health of our home planet. What difference will it make if we learn about the solar system only to become extinct here?
insanity4224
September 22, 2020 at 12:47 am
ronkirk50 I agree to a point but for kids to grow up seeing our technology landing on other planets this is incredibly inspirational. So many people were inspired to become scientists as a result of the moon landings. And innovation in general, especially the really tough projects pushes the boundaries of what we can do to be more efficient in general. I think we can engineer our way out of destroying our home but we need to be socially capable of getting along globally.. that’s our biggest problem.
Lennox Beharry
September 20, 2020 at 7:41 pm
did saturn moon woke you this morning
Lo Rez
September 21, 2020 at 8:48 am
Absolutely wonderful talk. Thank you.
Black Forest
September 21, 2020 at 12:13 pm
Die Bilder sind so schlecht. Was wollt ihr? Zeigt doch mal Bilder die 4K sind. Da sind die Bilder vom 😉 Mond ja schärfer… Miss Turtel…..schnell und scharf geht anders.
devvrat arya
September 21, 2020 at 5:38 pm
All the best DragonFly !!
Sam Braz
September 22, 2020 at 3:06 am
Another fake news…No one has been to outer space. Man i cannot even gey a phone signal where i live. And that tin can in the Smithsonian went to outer space with a calcular as its technology. Yer right tjere is a virus goind around too so deadly you have to be tested….Fake fake fake. Wake up! Tje media are just professional liers!
Magnus Sörensen
September 22, 2020 at 6:49 pm
If 4:05 isnt a Nvidia Jetson TX2 I will eat my hat.