Europe or Titan? The node will soon by minced Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Europe or Titan? The node will soon by minced
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Two scientific teams have filed their final proposal for either a mission to Jupiter, Europa and Ganymede or a mission to Saturn, Titan and Enceladus. 9 and 10 March ESA and NASA should take a decision. What is the next big mission to the planets? On the one hand there is the Europa Jupiter System Mission with a research satellite to Europe and one for Jupiter and Ganymede. On the other hand there is the TSSM program with a Titan orbiter, a lander and a balloon for a wet landing.



It is almost impossible to choose: on the one hand, Jupiter with its Monday Europa, a moon covered with ice, and it is not unlikely that there is an ocean under the ice is. And when Ganymede would like to make a living. On the other hand, we have Saturn. In the ongoing Cassini mission, we are a lot wiser on Saturn with its rings. But there are also new questions: Titan remains mysterious. It seems that the surface floats on an ocean of water. And organic molecules on Titan would be something we can say about the beginning of life on our planet. Enceladus has then spitting geyser of water.


Both the planets and their moons are incredibly interesting. However, there is only money for one of these programs. Both programs cost of billions. In both missions cost about as much.

Jupiter Europa Orbiter Mission

The Jupiter Europa Orbiter Mission consists of a Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) of NASA and a Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO), to Europe. The JEO the deep interior of Europe mapping, search for any surface and try to obtain a picture of the history of Europe. Also, from a job for Europe's chemical mapping and try to answer the question: could life be? The great challenge of JEO is that it often goes in the radiation belt of Jupiter. Simple home-garden and kitchen electronics would be in the radiation field of Jupiter quickly damage. An additional challenge is to build a satellite that is hardened against radiation jovi Italian.




The JGO is a satellite outside the radiation belt in orbit around Jupiter will rotate. This satellite will from a distance, the interaction between Jupiter and moons observe. JGO after research in orbit around Ganymede go. This will be the structure in this investigation Monday. Unlike JEO, the supply of solar panels JGO

JEO and JGO Both should be launched in 2020. JEO on an Atlas V, JGO on an Ariane V. After a so-called veega pathway (Venus-Earth-Earth Gravity Assist) are in 2025 and 2026 at Jupiter on. First few years they will rotate around Jupiter. Then come JEO and JGO in orbit of "their" Monday Eventually they will also come down. That is remarkable, because the Jupiter Galileo mission was NASA satellite that just come down to Jupiter for a crash in Europe and, possibly Europe organic contamination could affect.

The Jupiter Europa Orbiter from a brochure of NASA.

Re: Europe or Titan? Continued

Titan Saturn System Mission

The TSSM program is a product of the Tandem proposal of a study of ESA and NASA. Unlike Jupiter Europe Program scientists since its inception in serious cooperation working on a new mission to Saturn and Titan. That will all have to deal with that Cassini also a cooperation between NASA and ESA was.




TSSM The program consists of a Titan Orbiter, a balloon, named Montgolfier, and a "wet" Lander, a lander in a methane can countries and should continue to float for a while. The whole system is at once launched on an Atlas V 551. The Montgolfier balloon and the methane-Länder are more attached to the Orbiter and Titan each have a heat shield, which they descend separately.

The images of Titan's clouds under which the Huygens probe in January 2005 back to Earth (via Cassini) is undoubtedly the originators of the Montgolfier inspired. During the descent the balloon at 40 kilometers altitude down to inflate and from 10 kilometers to his studies. The 11 meter high balloon is equipped with a radio isotope generator for the hot air to ensure Titanium. If floating will Montgolfier 6 months to do research.

Methane Multi-country nationals in countries Kraken Mare, the largest known methane on Titan. The lake is as big as the Caspian Sea, so perhaps we should rather talk about a methaanzee. Al bob the Lander the complex organic substances in marine studies. There is also a camera on board to include pictures of the area to shoot. Because there is little sunlight will be the lander is equipped with a lamp. The lander will have life of 9 hours.




The TSSM program should be launched in 2020. First, the Titan Orbiter have large solar panels, which is powered ion engine. That should speed up the journey to Saturn. In 2029, after 3 flyby Earth's past and past Venus, the Titan Orbiter to Saturn on. It is the exciting moment, the remraket be inflamed. If it goes well, the Titan Orbiter in orbit around Saturn. If the orbiter for the second time flies by Titan are Montgolfier and more methane-Lander off. In 2031, after a journey through several moons of Saturn, including Enceladus, the Titan Orbiter in orbit around Titan. This job is achieved by aerobraking in the atmosphere of Titan. It saves fuel.

The chopping node

Which will win? It will be no easy task to decide. But the TSSM team has a clear advantage. Saturn scientists from NASA and ESA can look back on a long collaboration with Cassini-Huygens. NASA and ESA had a different program for Jupiter, Europa and Ganymede.

On February 12, the NASA's Outer Planet Assessment Group decided (with ESA), but that is just postponed. In a new meeting on 9 and 10 March, the white smoke from the chimneys of NASA and ESA are. Then we know where we go next 15-20 years to live.

Sources: The Planetary Society, Outer Planet Flagship Mission documentation and the Outer Planet Assessment Group


Source: astrostart.nl

Photo 1:The Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter.
Photo 2:The Titan Orbiter with Titan, after dropping of both surface missions.
Photo 3:All components of the Titan Saturn System Mission: The Titan Orbiter (which does not normally fly so low), the Montgolfier balloon and the more methane-country national.