Scientists and engineers from the American aerospace company Boeing have created an aircraft project to study Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. The study was published on: portal scientific materials Research Gate (ResGate).
Titan has a thick atmosphere and low gravity, making it an ideal place for balloons. But until recently, such ideas seemed impossible to implement, since the size of the required balloons exceeded the capabilities of existing launch platforms.
The company proposed a more compact aircraft reminiscent of modern airships. When folded, it will fit into the nose cone of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket developed by Boeing.
It will have a helium tank and two ballast tanks that, together with the tail, will allow the device to perform various maneuvers. The balloon will absorb gases from the local atmosphere to descend and release them to ascend.
Experts suggested two different configurations: an aircraft with a volume of 150 cubic meters that could stay at an altitude of 5 kilometers, or a device with a volume of 400 cubic meters that could stay 20 kilometers above the surface of Titan.
The airship is expected to be equipped with a gondola containing scientific equipment, including radars and lidars, to scan the icy landscape of Saturn’s moon and monitor geological activity. There are also plans to analyze the atmosphere using atmospheric sensors for organic molecules.
The team expects the balloon they designed to remain in Titan’s atmosphere for many years.
Boeing plans to launch a mission to study the skies of Titan in 2034-2036, but its future fate has not yet been determined and will depend on many factors. The cost of the project is tentatively estimated at 2.5 billion dollars.
Previous scientists calculated Thickness of the ice crust on the surface of Titan.
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Source: Gazeta
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