Mission overview Titan Saturn System Mission

part of mission proposal balloon planned circumnavigate titan.

the tssm mission consists of orbiter , 2 titan exploration probes: hot air balloon ( montgolfier type) float in titan s clouds, , lander splash down on 1 of methane seas.

both probes’ data relayed titan orbiter. equipped study titan’s features instruments imaging, radar profiling, , surface atmospheric sampling, more complete done cassini–huygens mission.

the spacecraft use several gravity assist flybys of other planets enable reach saturn. baseline design envisaged september 2020 launch, followed 4 gravity assists (earth–venus–earth–earth), , arrival @ saturn 9 years later in october 2029. 1 of several available earth-to-saturn transfer options year 2018 through 2022. current nasa plans not give tssm priority, however, , unlikely of proposed launch dates can met.

upon saturn arrival, in october 2029, orbiter’s chemical propulsion system place flight system orbit around saturn, followed two-year saturn tour phase, characterized deployment of in situ elements, , including minimum of 7 close enceladus flybys , 16 titan flybys. during period, repeated satellite gravity assists , manoeuvres reduce energy needed insert titan s orbit. craft completes flyby enceladus, orbiter analyze unusual cryovolcanic plumes @ moon s south pole.

the montgolfière, hot air balloon, released on approach first titan flyby ballistic entry titan s atmosphere 6 earth months’ mission april 2030 october 2030. based on cassini–huygens discoveries, montgolfière should able circumnavigate titan @ least once during nominal lifetime @ deployment latitude of 20°n, 10 kilometers above titan s surface.

lake lander

the titan mare explorer (time) become lake-lander of tssm.

numerous proposals have been brought forward respect lake-lander concept. 1 of detailed plans far so-called titan mare explorer (time), had been proposed separate scout mission, might postponed , included in tssm. if approved, time released orbiter on second titan flyby. due titan s haze layer , distance sun, lander cannot powered solar panels , rely on new advanced stirling radioisotope generator (asrg), prototype meant provide availability of long-lived power supplies landed networks , other planetary missions. lander target ligeia mare, northern polar sea of liquid hydrocarbons @ 79°n. probe descend parachute, huygens probe of 2005. during 6 hours of descent analyze atmosphere , splashdown on liquid surface. plutonium-powered craft’s principal function sample , analyze organics on surface period of 3 6 months; first floating exploration of extraterrestrial sea.