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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."

11 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Awesomeness by MightyMartian · · Score: 3, Interesting

    On the sheer awesomeness factor, this rates pretty damned high. The only thing cooler would be a submarine in Europea's ocean, but that one, I imagine, is decades off.

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    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    1. Re:Awesomeness by countertrolling · · Score: 2

      Europa is off limits

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      For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
  2. 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 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.

    2. Re:I would like to know... by Dr+Herbert+West · · Score: 2

      I had to make myself a drink just so I would have something to spray all over my keyboard.... tip of the hat to you, good sir!

    3. Re:I would like to know... by RussR42 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I mean this in all seriousness, not as a troll or flamebait. After a reasonable look for indigenous life on the other planets, why not seed them with earth life? It seems unlikely that adapting to them would make the life we left there harmful to us and with just a little genetic engineering perhaps we can seed them in such a way to start rudimentary terraforming. Or even better, perhaps the bit of life we plant there will survive until the sun expands and the other planets/moons pass through the habitable zone and with the leg up we gave them by putting them there evolve into sentience with the time they would have. Sorry, distracted by wild imagination there. The question is, why not add life to lifeless worlds if we can? What harm could it do?

    4. Re:I would like to know... by countertrolling · · Score: 2

      What harm could it do?

      They will come back and attack us. Look what happened to Africa after it 'seeded' the rest of planet earth.

      --
      For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
  3. How are they going to test it? by blair1q · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Are they going to build a pool of liquid methane in which to test this?

    I mean, a giant, sealed, cryogenic methane containment tank with N layers of protection so that it doesn't, you know, mix with air and explode?

    1. Re:How are they going to test it? by Overzeetop · · Score: 2

      Easy - extra beans in the Chipotle burritos and then hang out in a commercial freezer for the afternoon. Chilled methane coming right up! (or would that be down?)

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  4. Re:Spreading our reach by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 4, Informative

    From the link I originally paste before /. misparsed it.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huygens_probe

    "Huygens separated from the Cassini orbiter on December 25, 2004, and landed on Titan on January 14, 2005 near the Xanadu region. This was the first landing ever accomplished in the outer solar system. It touched down on land, although the possibility that it would touch down in an ocean was also taken into account in its design. Even though it was never officially designated a lander, the probe continued to send data for about 90 minutes after reaching the surface."

  5. Nice Acronym by hoover · · Score: 2

    Hmm, nice mission acryonm, makes we wonder what they'll name the TItan Thermal Sensors on that probe ;-)

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    Ever wondered whats wrong with the world? http://www.ishmael.org/