AbstractAn advanced mission to this unique satellite of Saturn appropriate to the turn-of-the-century time period is described. The mission concept evolves about one or more buoyant stations (balloons and/or airship) operating at varying altitudes in Titan's atmosphere. An orbiter of Titan provides communications link support and accomplishes remote sensing science objectives. Use of buoyant stations are favored over a fixed site lander for two reasons: (1) adaptable to several possible surface physical states and topographies; and (2) capable of exploring both the atmosphere and surface with regional and possibly global mobility. Auxiliary payload concepts investigated include tethered packages and sounding rockets deployed from the buoyant station, and haze probes and surface penetrators deployed from the orbiter. The paper describes science objectives and payloads, propulsion system/mass delivery trades, balloon design requirements and deployment/motion characteristics, and communications link geometry and data characteristics.


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    Title :

    Buoyant station mission concepts for Titan exploration


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Acta Astronautica ; 14 ; 233-242


    Publication date :

    1986-01-01


    Size :

    10 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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