[X] My Assistant

[jsheff]

Enceladus just jumped to way near the top of the list of biologically interesting places. We know how to get to Mars; we some ideas of further exploration of Euiropa and Titan. Has anyone designed a mission to land on Enceladus? What would it take? How much delta vee?

[nprev]

Enceladus just jumped to way near the top of the list of biologically interesting places. We know how to get to Mars; we some ideas of further exploration of Euiropa and Titan. Has anyone designed a mission to land on Enceladus? What would it take? How much delta vee?

In at least two respects, Enceladus now appears to be a much easier target than Europa as far as UMSF life seaches go: the crust apparently isn't nearly as thick, and the radiation environment is much more benign. Maybe the more expensive delta vee considerations would be more than offset by savings in lander/diver(?) design...

[tasp]

In at least two respects, Enceladus now appears to be a much easier target than Europa as far as UMSF life seaches go: the crust apparently isn't nearly as thick, and the radiation environment is much more benign. Maybe the more expensive delta vee considerations would be more than offset by savings in lander/diver(?) design...

Perhaps a craft could use Titan (as Cassini is) for orbit shaping. Several encounters could be set up to 'crank down' the orbit to graze Enceladus and Titan at apogee and perigee.

This would still leave the craft with a considerable velocity in the vicinity of Enceladus to 'burn off' though.

Would a ballute work in a water vapor plume at an altitude of 10 km? Every pass at Enceldaus would lower the apogee of the orbit (and the subsequent approach speed to Enceladus next time around) a bit, and you just keep grazing the plumes with your ballute till the approach speed is something your propulsion system can handle for either orbiting Enceladus or landing on it.

Note:
I don't have the figures handy but I seem to recall the equvalent of the Hill sphere of Enceladus (in reference to Saturn, not the sun) is quite small (Mimas's is miniscule). Perhaps useful studies might be feasible from an orbit that encounters Enceladus resonantly, or perhaps there is a slick way to get into a Lagrange orbit of some kind . . . .


How 'fluffy' is the surface? Maybe Enceladus is the one object in the solar system where 'lithobraking' is feasible.

{that last one may not be too serious, but if feasible, I claim priority}

[jmknapp]

Would a ballute work in a water vapor plume at an altitude of 10 km?

Could be water vapor and ice particles though--kind of abrasive. If water vapor is coming out of the vents at high pressure and temperature (above 0C anyway) wouldn't it condense rapidly, effectively like a snow-making machine?