Manned Landing On Titan, Issues & Answers? |
Manned Landing On Titan, Issues & Answers? |
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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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![]() Senior Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 ![]() |
The cold is going to be THE big problem facing probes, machines, and colonists on Titan. Compared to other moons, Titan's atmosphere is thick, cold, and windy. So there will more heat conducted away from warm objects on Titan compared to other moons where objects will be partially be isolated by vacuum.
[Compare keeping hot coffee in a Thermos to trying to keep a hot cup of coffee in a pan of cold water.] A heavy methane rain would also do a really great job of sucking heat away from warm stuff on the surface as well, both from conductivity from the moving fluid but also from the instant evaporation of the methane rain drops when it hits the warm surface. Just like the first raindrops from a summer thunderstorm disappear when they hit a warm sidewalk here on Earth. But think of the fun the colonists will have shattering roses, driving nails with bananas, and other fun low-temperature experiments. -Mike -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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