Technology Needs for Titan Missions

Planetary and Space Science, 2014

Fundamental questions involving the origin, evolution, and history of both Titan and the broader Saturnian system can be answered by exploring this satellite from an orbiter and also in situ. We present the science case for an exploration of Titan and one of its lakes from a dedicated orbiter and a lake probe. Observations from an orbit-platform can improve our understanding of Titan's geological processes, surface composition and atmospheric properties. Further, combined measurements of the gravity field, rotational dynamics and electromagnetic field can expand our understanding of the interior and evolution of Titan. An in situ exploration of Titan's lakes provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand the hydrocarbon cycle, investigate a natural laboratory for prebiotic chemistry and habitability potential, and study meteorological and marine processes in an exotic environment. We briefly discuss possible mission scenarios for a future exploration of Titan with an orbiter and a lake probe.

Experimental Astronomy

In response to ESA’s “Voyage 2050” announcement of opportunity, we propose an ambitious L-class mission to explore one of the most exciting bodies in the Solar System, Saturn’s largest moon Titan. Titan, a “world with two oceans”, is an organic-rich body with interior-surface-atmosphere interactions that are comparable in complexity to the Earth. Titan is also one of the few places in the Solar System with habitability potential. Titan’s remarkable nature was only partly revealed by the Cassini-Huygens mission and still holds mysteries requiring a complete exploration using a variety of vehicles and instruments. The proposed mission concept POSEIDON (Titan POlar Scout/orbitEr and In situ lake lander DrONe explorer) would perform joint orbital and in situ investigations of Titan. It is designed to build on and exceed the scope and scientific/technological accomplishments of Cassini-Huygens, exploring Titan in ways that were not previously possible, in particular through full close-up...

2001

After a first view of Titan obtained by the Voyager missions in the 1980s, Saturn's largest satellite remains a mysterious object. In particular, its lower atmosphere and surface are still largely unknown. The degree of complexity achieved by the chemistry in its stratosphere has not been clearly evaluated by previous space missions, due to low spectral resolution and/or sensitivity. With ISO, in 1997, we have enhanced our knowledge of the chemical composition of the atmosphere, but have failed to acquire full scans in the submm range, where the Saturnian straylight was too important. The CIRS instrument aboard the Cassini mission will considerably increase our knowledge in 2004, but may well be complemented by FIRST observations in 2007, thanks to the higher resolution and sensitivity that PACS, SPIRE and HIFI have to offer.

2011

The lakes of Titan represent an increasingly tantalizing target for future exploration. As Cassini continues to reveal more details the lakes appear to offer a particularly rich reservoir of knowledge that could provide insights to Titan's formation and evolution, as well as an ideal location to explore Titan's potential for pre-biotic chemistry. A recent study of Titan Lake Probe missions was undertaken as one of several dozen studies commissioned by the National Research Council (NRC) Planetary Decadal Survey to explore the technical readiness, feasibility and affordability of scientifically promising mission scenarios. This in-depth study focused on an in-situ examination of a hydrocarbon lake on the Saturnian moon Titan-a target that presents unique scientific opportunities as well as several unique engineering challenges (e.g., submersion systems and cryogenic sampling) to enable those measurements. Per direction from the NRC Planetary Decadal Survey Satellites Panel, and after an initial tradespace examination, study architectures focused on three possible New Frontiers-class missions and a more ambitious Flagship-class lander intended as the in-situ portion of a larger collaborative mission. Detailed point designs were developed to explore these four potential mission options, including consideration of flight system and mission designs, as well as operations on and under the lake's surface and scenarios for data return. In this paper we present an overview of the science objectives of the missions, the mission architecture and surface element trades, and the detailed point designs chosen for in-depth analysis.

First Steps in the Origin of Life in the Universe, 2001

The Cassini-Huygens mission has initiated its long exploration of the Saturnian system in July 2004, after a 7,5 year trek through our solar system. Since the Saturn Orbit Insertion, we have witnessed the great success of the Huygens mission, the probe descent through Titan's atmosphere, on January 14, 2005. One of the main targets of the Cassini-Huygens mission was Titan. The combined orbiter and probe data have been a precious tool in the description of Titan's atmosphere and surface returning wonderful new data whose analysis have revealed an amazing new world, 10 time further from our Sun and yet so close to our own planet. Indeed, Titan is currently the only exobiological system that we can study in reference to conditions which may have prevailed on the primitive Earth. FIGURE 1. Titan observed in 1980 with the cameras of Voyager 1 in the visible and in 2004 with the Cassini/ISS camera (Porco et al., 2005) at 0.94 micron.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics eBooks, 2008

Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 2009

Earth, Moon, and Planets, 2009

The Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) concept is composed of a TSSM orbiter provided by NASA that wou\ld carry two Titan in situ elements provided by ESA: the montgolfie `re and the probe/lake lander. One overarching goal of TSSM is to explore in situ the atmosphere and surface of Titan. The mission has been prioritized as the second Outer Planets Flagship Mission, the first one being the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM). TSSM would launch around 2023-2025 arriving at Saturn 9 years later followed by a 4-year science mission in the Saturn system. Following delivery of the in situ elements Contribution to the

Nature, 2005