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Titan Orbiter with Aerorover Mission (TOAM)We propose to develop a new mission to Titan called Titan Orbiter with Aerorover Mission (TOAM). This mission is motivated by the recent discoveries of Titan, its atmosphere and its surface by the Huygens Probe, and a combination of in situ, remote sensing and radar mapping measurements of Titan by the Cassini orbiter. Titan is a body for which Astrobiology (i.e., prebiotic chemistry) will be the primary science goal of any future missions to it. TOAM is planned to use an orbiter and balloon technology (i.e., aerorover). Aerobraking will be used to put payload into orbit around Titan. One could also use aerobraking to put spacecraft into orbit around Saturn first for an Enceladus phase of the mission and then later use aerocapture to put spacecraft into orbit around Titan. The Aerorover will probably use a hot air balloon concept using the waste heat from the MMRTG approx. 1000 watts. Orbiter support for the Aerorover is unique to our approach for Titan. Our strategy to use an orbiter is contrary to some studies using just a single probe with balloon. Autonomous operation and navigation of the Aerorover around Titan will be required, which will include descent near to the surface to collect surface samples for analysis (i.e., touch and go technique). The orbiter can provide both relay station and GPS roles for the Aerorover. The Aerorover will have all the instruments needed to sample Titan's atmosphere, surface, possible methane lakes-rivers, use multi-spectral imagers for surface reconnaissance; to take close up surface images; take core samples and deploy seismometers during landing phase. Both active and passive broadband remote sensing techniques will be used for surface topography, winds and composition measurements.
Document ID
20070032803
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Sittler, E. C., Jr.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Cooper, J. F.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Mahaffy, P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Esper, J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Fairbrother, D.
(NASA Wallops Flight Center Wallops Island, VA, United States)
Farley, R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Pitman, J.
(Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center Palo Alto, CA, United States)
Kojiro, D. R.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Acuna, M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Allen, M.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Bjoraker, G.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Brasunas, J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Farrell, W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Burchell, M. J.
(Kent Univ. Canterbury, United Kingdom)
Burger, M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Chin, G.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Coates, A. J.
(University Coll. London, United Kingdom)
Farrell, W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Flasar, M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Gerlach, B.
(Rockwell Collins Deutschland G.m.b.H. Heidelberg, Germany)
Gorevan, S.
(Honeybee Robotics Ltd. New York, NY, United States)
Hartle, R. E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Im, Eastwood
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Jennings, D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Johnson, R. E.
(Virginia Univ. Charlottesville, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2007
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Meeting Information
Meeting: Titan Workshop
Location: Paris
Country: France
Start Date: February 14, 2007
End Date: February 15, 2007
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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