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Sailing the Titan Seas

Posted by samzenpus on from the we're-gonna-need-a-better-boat dept.

gpronger writes "The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has been awarded the opportunity to explore the methane ocean on Titan. Next year APL will be submitting a project plan to NASA, which will be one of three submittals. If chosen, launch would be in 2016, with arrival at Titan in 2023. The 'Titan Mare Explorer' or TiME would be the first exploration of an extraterrestrial ocean with the craft landing and floating on the ocean. The mission would be led by principal investigator Ellen Stofan of Proxemy Research Inc. in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Lockheed Martin in Denver would build the TiME capsule, with scientific instruments provided by APL, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego. This is part of NASA's Discovery Program and would be the next mission, funded and supported by NASA."

3 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. I would like to know... by Rollgunner · · Score: 3, Funny

    The name of the guy who'll be in charge of decontaminating the TiME Capsule before launch, so if the Galactic Overlords show up and ask why we used a bioweapon to commit genocide on the peaceful bottom-dwelling protoplasmoids of Titan, I can point at *them* !

    1. Re:I would like to know... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1, Funny

      I agree. The risk of contaminating another planet is just too great. We need to stay on our own planet and not fuck up the rest of the solar system. Defund NASA space exploration and put the money towards starving children.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    2. Re:I would like to know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      That is absolutely and totally obscene. You are a horrible person. To advocate taking all the money from NASA and using it to STARVE children is insane. I hope you die.