Manned Landing On Titan, Issues & Answers? |
Manned Landing On Titan, Issues & Answers? |
Oct 19 2006, 09:08 PM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Just got to thinking about some of the problems that may have to be addressed if & when we ever try to visit Titan in person.
The first thing that comes to mind is what might happen if some Titanian air gets inside an oxygen-rich manned spacecraft, say from minor airlock residue. I imagine that the explosive potential of some of the trace gasses is pretty high, and there's probably also a significant risk of poisonous compounds as well. So, here are some tenative requirements: 1. REALLY efficient air-scavenging airlocks. 2. Surface suits that can't trap external gasses in creases, folds, etc. 3. Spark-proof electrical/electronic everything. 4. Smoking is strictly forbidden (with apologies to the entire 1950s SF movie genre!) Gotta be more...any ideas? -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Nov 24 2007, 05:07 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
Combustion is not my field but I'd be surprised if 2%, or even the saturation level of 5% or so methane would be a sufficient concentration to support combustion with oxygen, especially starting from cryogenic temperatures. Assuming the Titan base used a normal terrestrial oxygen/nitrogen mixture the risk would be even less. Cold nitrogen is a pretty good fire extinguisher. However you wouldn't want your oxygen tanks to be struck by lightning during one of those once per millennium downpours!!!
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Nov 24 2007, 09:18 PM
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
Combustion is not my field but I'd be surprised if 2%, or even the saturation level of 5% or so methane would be a sufficient concentration to support combustion with oxygen, especially starting from cryogenic temperatures. I'd be more concerned with higher hydrocarbons and other organic brought in by the astronauts. Some of that stuff might melt as it gets warmer and could support combustion inside the living module. For example, hexane (solid at Titan's temperatures) might get tracked in on the astronauts boots or clothing, and it will volatilize and support combustion quite nicely in a 20% O2/N2 environment. (Diethyl ether would be even more impressive) -Mike -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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