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Titan + Enceladus = Goose bumps, Tomorrow is just ahead!
ustrax
post Mar 12 2007, 03:22 PM
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I thought about a new thread since there are possibilities of an incredible future mission.

The idea is to know what would people like to see on a mission like that, nature of probes, instruments, experiments...you name it! smile.gif


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Juramike
post Mar 15 2007, 08:59 PM
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QUOTE (belleraphon1 @ Mar 8 2007, 07:01 PM) *
Sure wish we could scoop up some of this Titan goop. But VERY GINGERLY.

Craig



Maybe a sample return mission from Titan is reasonably doable after all.

Getting a package to Titan's surface has been done (Huygens landed and survived)
Getting a package off Titan's surface may be a bit trickier, but Titan has the bonus of liquid fuel in the form of Methan/ethane. We would only need to supply the oxidizer (oxygen).

I picture an atmospheric balloon with multiple sample containers. It sets down, scoops stuff into a container. Proceeds to the next location, scoops more in, etc.. It finally drifts over to a methane/ethane lake, fills up the propellant tanks for the escape package. Floats up to maximum altitude and the escape package (which has the oxygen tank) ignites, separates and goes back to Earth on a long slow trajectory.

Even after the escape package separates, the balloon could still maintain a smaller instrument package for surface imaging, MS analysis, and other meteorological analysis for a long duration stay in the Titan atmosphere.


Even a small amount of non-volatile material from the Titanian surface delivered to Earth would speak infitine volumes about Titan surface chemistry and the potential for life.

-Mike


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Greg Hullender
post Mar 16 2007, 04:01 PM
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QUOTE (Juramike @ Mar 15 2007, 01:59 PM) *
but Titan has the bonus of liquid fuel in the form of Methan/ethane. We would only need to supply the oxidizer (oxygen).


Sadly, this isn't much of a win. When you burn methane or ethane in oxygen, 2/3 of the mass comes from the oxygen.

--Greg
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JRehling
post Mar 16 2007, 04:47 PM
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QUOTE (Greg Hullender @ Mar 16 2007, 09:01 AM) *
Sadly, this isn't much of a win. When you burn methane or ethane in oxygen, 2/3 of the mass comes from the oxygen.

--Greg


I guess the problem is assuaged by the fact that a nuclear power source could extract oxygen from ice, if H2O is within grabbing distance. That may not be a trivial assumption or engineering feat. And it leaves the problem that this rocket ultimately has to escape not just Titan but Saturn.
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Posts in this topic
- ustrax   Titan + Enceladus = Goose bumps   Mar 12 2007, 03:22 PM
- - Juramike   In order to deliver a box into Titan orbit or onto...   Mar 15 2007, 08:39 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (Juramike @ Mar 15 2007, 01:39 PM) ...   Mar 15 2007, 08:57 PM
- - Juramike   QUOTE (belleraphon1 @ Mar 8 2007, 07:01 P...   Mar 15 2007, 08:59 PM
|- - mchan   QUOTE (Juramike @ Mar 15 2007, 01:59 PM) ...   Mar 16 2007, 04:30 AM
|- - Greg Hullender   QUOTE (Juramike @ Mar 15 2007, 01:59 PM) ...   Mar 16 2007, 04:01 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (Greg Hullender @ Mar 16 2007, 09:0...   Mar 16 2007, 04:47 PM
|- - Edward Schmitz   QUOTE (JRehling @ Mar 16 2007, 09:47 AM) ...   Mar 16 2007, 06:35 PM
|- - Rob Pinnegar   QUOTE (Edward Schmitz @ Mar 16 2007, 12:3...   Mar 16 2007, 07:13 PM
- - Edward Schmitz   she talks of acetylene icebergs - but acetylene si...   Mar 16 2007, 04:42 PM
|- - centsworth_II   QUOTE (Edward Schmitz @ Mar 16 2007, 12:4...   Mar 16 2007, 05:16 PM
- - Edward Schmitz   If Saturn was in deep space (not in orbit around t...   Mar 16 2007, 10:36 PM
- - Juramike   Dear Ed, Are you talking about a second Saturn en...   Mar 16 2007, 11:01 PM
- - Edward Schmitz   We were discusing escape of a probe from the satur...   Mar 20 2007, 04:28 PM
- - Greg Hullender   You only have to reach the Sun-Saturn L1 point; fr...   Mar 20 2007, 04:50 PM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (Greg Hullender @ Mar 20 2007, 04:5...   Mar 21 2007, 04:16 PM
- - PhilCo126   Today's Sky at Night: The Fountains of Encelad...   Mar 14 2009, 12:33 PM
- - lyford   Kind of a silly aside, but the built in Mac spell ...   Mar 30 2009, 03:12 AM
- - Shaka   ...of course, in Mac spell. But the more compellin...   Mar 30 2009, 06:06 AM
- - stevesliva   sel. With the second syllable accented, it seems...   Mar 30 2009, 03:26 PM


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