Helicopter In Space

LazyGun wrote to us about the next generation of Titan Explorers -- the Titan Organic Explorer. The cool part is that it's a helicopter, of sorts. The probe is an interesting proposal, especially to test some of the interesting potential organic properties of Titan's make-up.

Comments

Sterility a big issue

[YIAAL]

Titan's atmosphere contains lots hydrocarbons, meaning that it could perhaps support life. That makes it interesting, but it also means that any spacecraft must be highly sterilized to keep earthlife from maybe getting a foothold on Titan. Yeah, it's really cold. But there's earthlife in places that get within spitting distance of those temperatures -- and it's not entirely sure that everywhere on Titan is that cold. Previous sterilization efforts have been fairly half-assed. This one shouldn't be.

Sounds interesting, but no real rush

[dschl]

The article states two things -
1)this idea is at the conceptual stage
2)a probe will arrive in 2004 which will investigate the organic chemistry of the atmosphere.

He is drumming up support for the future, but this is not, and may never end up on the drawing boards (although it is an exciting proposal that should be pursued). There are a few other reasons to wait a few years before finalizing the design of this helicopter
1)analytical technology is in a state of rapid development, with labs on a chip capable of detecting single molecules getting closer every day. In a few years, we will get much more bank for the buck (and more importantly, more data for every kilogram of instruments in the probe. The author of the article, Rlph Lorenz indicated a probe size of 100kg)
2) we should wait until the results from the 2004 probe have been analysed, in order to direct the research goal of the next probe. The data from the Huygens probe may send future exploration in a new direction.

I hope moderators will obliterate the ecofreaks whining about a plutonium power source, and the earth-firster flatlanders who see no value in the space program. Life is about risk, and as soon as we turn away from exploring and understanding this universe, we have given up our birthright.

Darren

helicopter?

[jpostel]

I don't want to get off on a rant here, but i seem to remember the people at NASA (God luv em) discussing what a technical feat it was just to remote control the Mars Rover. They were just trying to keep it from getting stuck in a ditch or on a rock. How the hell does the guy who wrote that article think they are going to navigate a HELICOPTER?!!?!?

They talked about the AI helicopter being tested by Carnegie Mellon, but then they discussed the "Large
raindrops of methane, almost a centimetre across, drift slowly from the red haze. Geysers spout pale plumes of ethane high into the sky." Add this to the facts that the gravity is one seventh that of Earth, and no one knows what the surface looks like, and NASA has some serious planning to do.

I'm a big proponent of space exploration, but ideas like this are just too sci-fi.

Re:How about...

[dschl]

The bacteria discovered in antarctic ice would either die on Titan or be totaly unable to reproduce. They were found near a freshwater lake under the ice. Lake = liquid water = 0 celsius (ignoring pressure effects). No reproduction = no world domination.

We are talking fundamentally different atmospheric and environmental conditions. Sure, there are organisms still around on earth which can survive a reducing atmosphere. However, they depend upon certain environmental conditions of temperature, pressure, food sources, and so on which are not going to be present on Titan. While earth bacteria may "survive" through dormancy, the risk is miniscule. Remember, the basic building blocks of life as we know it are not even going to be present, except at (unlikely) extremely low concentrations. There may be a mix of amino acids, but they will not be the right ones. Different stereochemistry and functional groups from what earthlife requires. Not "likes" but requires . There may be sugars, but they will not be the right ones. Without a biochemical pathway (specific enzymes) to deal with these compounds, earth life cannot sustain or reproduce itself.

Also, without liquid water (Titan has a surface temperature of -178 degrees) earth life has a rough time of it. I challenge you to name a single organism on this planet that grows or reproduces without any liquid water and the basic (specific to earth) chemical building blocks present. It may survive freezing, but survival is not a threat to any potential life on Titan.

Sure, NASA will be careful if this probe ever gets built, and it is worth taking all conceivable precautions, but the odds of finding anything other than a few interesting molecules on Titan are remote. You had better hope that Huygens (probe already on it's way to Titan's atmosphere) was cleaned to your specifications, as it may already be too late :)

Darren