Aside from Earth , Titan is the only place in the solar system that has bodies of liquid on its surface , making it a rather attractiveplace to search . But while a figure of proposal have been put frontward to take a cheeseparing flavour , none have come to realisation .
Step forward theTitan Submarine , a proposal of marriage that NASA has just present a 2d round of funding through their Innovative Advanced Concepts ( NIAC)program . It is very much just a concept at the moment , but it is promising nevertheless .
Somewhat similar to an Earth - based submarine , the cylindrical vessel about the length of a cable car would douse through the thick atmosphere of Titan and plunk into its turgid limpid hydrocarbon sea , Kraken Mare . Here , it would search the subsurface region for 90 days , send data and simulacrum back to Earth . It would travel at a rather sedate one meter ( 3.3 feet ) per second using four propellers at its back , enable it to cover aplanned routeof 2,000 kilometers ( 1,200 miles ) . Instruments on board would include sonar , a sampling system and a photographic camera to respond question such as whether there could belife on Titan , which is up for debate .
The team , led by Steven Oleson of NASA ’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio , envisages that the vehicle could splashdown in 2040 . There are a phone number of complication to overcome before the mind can even be considered for development though . These admit " basic purgative questions " of operating in the -180 ° C ( -300 ° F ) fluid ocean of Titan , and working out how to actually plunge the submarine to Titan .
" Risks of an exposed phased - regalia antenna to pass on directly back to Earth will also be explored , " the scientists note in their proposal , have-to doe with to the difficulties of the submarine cause its own communication arrangement on board . rather , it may have a simple equipment that speak to an orbiter , with datum relayed to Earth , much like the Huygens lander did with Cassini in 2005 , the first and only landing on Titan so far .
Shown is sunlight glinting off sea on Titan , as seen by the Cassini space vehicle via NASA / JPL - Caltech / University of Arizona / University of Idaho
The goal of the NIAC program is to take off funding for ambitious proposals like this . The Titan Submarine will be grant up to $ 500,000 ( £ 325,000 ) over two years , and six other conception have also been present financial backing . They includeSCEPS(Stored Chemical Energy Power Systems ) in Space , a manner to king cryptic space probes for long stop of clip with lithium rather than plutonium . One teamhas proposed reflecting sunlight into the bottom of Crater on the moon , enable a rover to canvas these potentially ice - rich regions , while another construct would utilise aswarmof " small , modest - cost probe " to calculate the gravity and mass of asteroid and comets .
“ NASA ’s investments in early - stage enquiry are important for advance new scheme conception and developing requirements for technologies to enable future place exploration deputation , " say Steve Jurczyk , associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington , in astatement .
" This round of Phase II pick demonstrates the authority ’s cover commitment to design that may transform our country ’s quad , technology and science capability . "
