Aerobraking at Triton |
Aerobraking at Triton |
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![]() Merciless Robot ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 ![]() |
Flying on Triton is no problem; you just need a chopper with blades a couple of kilometers long...
![]() (Semi)seriously, would anything we think of as atmospheric flight work at all on Triton? I doubt that even a balloon "filled" with several cubic km of lab-quality vacuum would generate enough lift to get itself off the surface, much less a useful payload. Mars by comparison is a veritable pressure cooker. -------------------- 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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#2
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![]() Merciless Robot ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 ![]() |
In engineering terms, how adaptable can an aerobraking system be made to address potentially variable conditions, assuming that the payload is designed to survive worst-case deceleration & heat-load scenarios?
In Triton's case, I would assume that the density variation is pretty long term due to Neptune's orbital period & axial tilt (please correct me if I'm wrong; Helvick, I unfortunately cannot view the article you posted). The scary possiblity is that some atmospheric constituents may abruptly sublimate or freeze out during temp-triggered phase-change events, or enhanced geyser activity during the long trip out for a mission. Hate to eat crow here given my previous skepticism of ballutes, but that technology MAY offer enough flexibility to overcome these issues; seems as if the desired decel surface area would be easier to control, provided that uniform inflation could be achieved regardless of size. Alternatively, maybe the lander needs "solar panels" (really speed brakes w/variable pitch) after all! What's nice about that is that they could be designed for aerodynamics rather than for maximizing surface area for power generation. -------------------- 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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