Titan Submarine
Mission type | Reconnaissance and submarine |
---|---|
Operator | |
Spacecraft properties | |
Dry mass | 500 kg[1] |
Dimensions | 20 by 6.5 ft[1] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 2030s-2040s |
End of mission | |
Landing date | 2040-2045 (hypothetical) |
Landing site | Kraken Mare or Ligeia Mare |
Titan Submarine is a proposed NASA submarine probe that will visit Saturn’s largest moon Titan, and will plausibly explore either Kraken Mare or Ligeia Mare, two of Titan’s largest lakes. The concept was proposed by Steven Oleson, Ralph Lorenz, and Micheal Paul, technical experts at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio.[1]
History
In early 2005, studies conducted by the
Alternate theories suggest the presence of a
On July 22, 2006, the Cassini-Huygens probe conducted a flyby of Titan, passing at a distance of 148,000 km.[6] This remarkable flyby revealed methane lakes on Titan’s surface, providing evidence of the existence of liquid water, a hypothesis first suggested in 1995 following a Hubble Space Telescope observation of Titan.[7]
As a result of these studies and discoveries, NASA’s Institute for Advanced Concepts proposed the Titan Mare Explorer. However, the proposal was superseded in a 2012 vote by the InSight rover, which was tasked with studying Mars’ core.[8] However, both the Titan Mare Explorer and the Titan Submarine projects remain active under the auspices of NIAC.
The Titan Submarine initiated Phase I in 2014 and transitioned to Phase II, dubbed Titan Turtle, in November 2020. The Titan submarine is still under development and refinement of new technologies by NASA’s Institute for Advanced Concepts.[9]
Overview
The submarine will be carried into space aboard an Atlas V rocket, accompanied by an unmanned Boeing X-37, which is designed to withstand the atmospheric conditions of Titan.
The Titan Submarine will be equipped with
Scientific goals
The submarine will aid scientists in refining
Instruments
The submarine will be equipped with scientific instruments to help understand Titan's lakes.
Instrument list
- Liquid samplers
- Surface imager
- Depth sounder
- Weather sounder
- Side-scan sonar arrays[1]
Interior instruments
- Command and data handling
- Communications
- Altitude determination and control[9]
Proposed instruments
- Seafloor sample analyzer
- Ventral imager [1]
Energy
The submarine will be equipped with 840 W of:
- Isotope power systems
- Stirling radioisotope generator
- 2 eight-GPHS SRG (chosen as the baseline power system proving 900 W of DC power)[12][13]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Wall, Mike (27 August 2020). "Submarine could explore seas of huge Saturn moon Titan". Space.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Alternative Fuels Data Center: Fuel Properties Comparison".
- ^ Vandel, Omri (29 November 2007). "All the answers to the question is there life in space?". ynet.co.il. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ Moskowitz, Clara (25 June 2009). "Exotic Life Could Sprout From Titan Chemistry". Space.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Kraken Mare". planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Outbound View". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 18 August 2006. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Hubble Observes Surface of Titan". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 26 September 1998. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ Vastag, Brian (August 20, 2012). "NASA will send robot drill to Mars in 2016". Washington Post.
- ^ Nasa.gov. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ AIAA meeting paper comparing fermium, polonium and plutonium as power sources[permanent dead link]
- ^ "ים של כוכבים: נאס"א שולחת צוללת לטיטאן". calcalist.co.il. Raphael Kahan, Harel Elam. 16 February 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Exploring the depths of Kraken Mare – Power, thermal analysis, and ballast control for the Saturn Titan submarine". ScienceDirect. J.W. Hartwig a, A. Colozza a, R.D. Lorenz b, S. Oleson a, G. Landis a, P. Schmitz a, M. Paul c, J. Walsh c. March 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ David, Leonard (18 February 2015). "NASA Space Submarine Could Explore Titan's Methane Seas". Space.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
Further information
- YouTube video gives an illustration on how the variety of instruments on board the submarine work.