the space submarine hunting the solar system for aliens
Scientists are designing a submarine to explore the mysterious methane ocean of Saturn\'s satellite Titan.
Of all the spacecraft designed to explore the solar system, this one is probably by far the coolest.
It\'s not a lander or Rover, it\'s a submarine-a vehicle that instantly recognizes the shape of a torpedo.
But unlike other submarines, the ship was designed to explore the depths of the outer sea.
The destination is Titan, Saturn\'s largest moon, and the only place in the solar system where there is a large amount of liquid gathering on the surface.
Although the Earth\'s oceans are water, the oceans of Titan are filled with a mixture of methane and ethane-which are usually gases that warm the Earth.
Titan is so cold180C (-292F)
-These compounds are liquid, creating a humid environment, and may just have life.
The main candidate for the alien residence will be dozens of lakes and oceans of Titan, the largest of which is Kraken Mare.
No one knows how deep it is, but it could drop hundreds of meters and span up to 400,000 square kilometers-five times larger than the Lake Superior in North America.
Scientists want to send the Titan submarine here.
We are unlikely to find alien fish swimming in Kraken Mare.
But there may be microorganisms.
In the process of finding habitability, the submarine will dive into the unknown waters (
Or, rather, methane)
Explore a strange world in a completely different way
The first and only spacecraft to land on Titan was the European Hui gens probe, which collected data on the atmosphere and clouds during the fall in 2005.
It took the first picture of the surface.
For more than a decade, Nasa\'s Cassini spacecraft has been working on the Saturn system and Titan, using radar to detect the ocean and collecting basic data about the liquid surface.
But their depth remains to be explored.
\"We don\'t know what\'s in there,\" said Steve Olsen, an engineer at NASA\'s Glenn Research Center, who led the design of the submarine.
\"We can send a ship, but think about the first time people explore our ocean.
They don\'t know what\'s under the surface.
The submarine is still just a concept.
Last year, researchers completed the first phase of designing the vehicle.
So far they have come up with a sixmetre-
A long boat about 90 days long crossing 3,000 kilometers of Kraken Mare cruising at an average speed of 1 kilometer per hour.
But the ability to explore many locations and environments is a great advantage for submarines.
By contrast, the Mars Opportunity rover is less than 45 km and has been in operation for 12 years.
The team will investigate the deposits deposited on the seabed and sample how the chemical composition of the seawater changes with depth.
It will study the weather and coastline, looking for signs of sea level change and clues to Titan\'s climate history.
It will explore the chemistry and geology of a world that is in some way more similar to the Earth than anywhere else in the solar system.
Titan and Earth are the only two suns.
The world of rain systems (
Despite the methane rain on Titan)
Fall on the water and fill the lakes and oceans connected by rivers and tributaries.
For example, unlike Mars\'s weak atmosphere or Venus\'s thick gas layer, Titan\'s atmospheric pressure is only one --and-a-
Sea level is half that of the Earth.
\"This is basically the same as the bottom of the municipal swimming pool,\" said Ralph Lorenzo, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University and chief scientist at the project.
\"In principle, humans can walk around the surface of Titan with thick coats and oxygen masks.
But the following is especially tempting.
As we know, life needs liquid water, and scientists think you need some sort of liquid like liquid methane to induce the existence of life.
\"As to whether this works or not, it\'s one of the problems that can be solved without much thought and Practical Theory,\" said Jason Barnes, a planetary scientist at the University of Idaho who was not involved in the Titan submarine project.
\"We need to go there and do the measurements and experiment to find out the answer.
One way is to find life.
Confirm the chemical pattern.
For example, the molecular building blocks of proteins called amino acids have structures that can mirror each other.
Can leave amino acids-or right-
Lorenzo explains that those who relate to life on Earth happen to be right --handed.
Suppose any creature in the Titan Ocean will evolve into one or the other and find an advantage --or left-
The delivered amino acids may suggest life, says Lorenzo.
The plan is for the submarine to explore Titan alone.
But researchers may consider sending an orbiter to send data and communications back to Earth.
The team also needs to flesh out how the submarine will get there.
At the moment, they envision carrying submarines like Boeing X-37 space plane.
The atmosphere of the Titan is thick enough that the spacecraft can slide onto Kraken Mare.
It will then merge when the floating sub is released.
There are engineering challenges.
For example, nitrogen is dissolved in the ocean like carbon dioxide in a can of Coke.
The concern is that the radioactive warmth from the submarine
The isotope power supply causes nitrogen blistering.
\"If it has a little bubble, the bubble will accumulate and interfere with our science,\" Oleson said . \".
But there\'s plenty of time to fix it all.
If the submarine does, it will not launch until about 2040 kilometers. In the 2040 s, it will splash on Kraken Mare, when the sun rises all day, when there is a direct communication line with the Earth.
Then it was time to set sail.
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Every Friday, select stories from BBC Future, Earth, culture, capital, travel and cars are sent to your inbox.
Of all the spacecraft designed to explore the solar system, this one is probably by far the coolest.
It\'s not a lander or Rover, it\'s a submarine-a vehicle that instantly recognizes the shape of a torpedo.
But unlike other submarines, the ship was designed to explore the depths of the outer sea.
The destination is Titan, Saturn\'s largest moon, and the only place in the solar system where there is a large amount of liquid gathering on the surface.
Although the Earth\'s oceans are water, the oceans of Titan are filled with a mixture of methane and ethane-which are usually gases that warm the Earth.
Titan is so cold180C (-292F)
-These compounds are liquid, creating a humid environment, and may just have life.
The main candidate for the alien residence will be dozens of lakes and oceans of Titan, the largest of which is Kraken Mare.
No one knows how deep it is, but it could drop hundreds of meters and span up to 400,000 square kilometers-five times larger than the Lake Superior in North America.
Scientists want to send the Titan submarine here.
We are unlikely to find alien fish swimming in Kraken Mare.
But there may be microorganisms.
In the process of finding habitability, the submarine will dive into the unknown waters (
Or, rather, methane)
Explore a strange world in a completely different way
The first and only spacecraft to land on Titan was the European Hui gens probe, which collected data on the atmosphere and clouds during the fall in 2005.
It took the first picture of the surface.
For more than a decade, Nasa\'s Cassini spacecraft has been working on the Saturn system and Titan, using radar to detect the ocean and collecting basic data about the liquid surface.
But their depth remains to be explored.
\"We don\'t know what\'s in there,\" said Steve Olsen, an engineer at NASA\'s Glenn Research Center, who led the design of the submarine.
\"We can send a ship, but think about the first time people explore our ocean.
They don\'t know what\'s under the surface.
The submarine is still just a concept.
Last year, researchers completed the first phase of designing the vehicle.
So far they have come up with a sixmetre-
A long boat about 90 days long crossing 3,000 kilometers of Kraken Mare cruising at an average speed of 1 kilometer per hour.
But the ability to explore many locations and environments is a great advantage for submarines.
By contrast, the Mars Opportunity rover is less than 45 km and has been in operation for 12 years.
The team will investigate the deposits deposited on the seabed and sample how the chemical composition of the seawater changes with depth.
It will study the weather and coastline, looking for signs of sea level change and clues to Titan\'s climate history.
It will explore the chemistry and geology of a world that is in some way more similar to the Earth than anywhere else in the solar system.
Titan and Earth are the only two suns.
The world of rain systems (
Despite the methane rain on Titan)
Fall on the water and fill the lakes and oceans connected by rivers and tributaries.
For example, unlike Mars\'s weak atmosphere or Venus\'s thick gas layer, Titan\'s atmospheric pressure is only one --and-a-
Sea level is half that of the Earth.
\"This is basically the same as the bottom of the municipal swimming pool,\" said Ralph Lorenzo, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University and chief scientist at the project.
\"In principle, humans can walk around the surface of Titan with thick coats and oxygen masks.
But the following is especially tempting.
As we know, life needs liquid water, and scientists think you need some sort of liquid like liquid methane to induce the existence of life.
\"As to whether this works or not, it\'s one of the problems that can be solved without much thought and Practical Theory,\" said Jason Barnes, a planetary scientist at the University of Idaho who was not involved in the Titan submarine project.
\"We need to go there and do the measurements and experiment to find out the answer.
One way is to find life.
Confirm the chemical pattern.
For example, the molecular building blocks of proteins called amino acids have structures that can mirror each other.
Can leave amino acids-or right-
Lorenzo explains that those who relate to life on Earth happen to be right --handed.
Suppose any creature in the Titan Ocean will evolve into one or the other and find an advantage --or left-
The delivered amino acids may suggest life, says Lorenzo.
The plan is for the submarine to explore Titan alone.
But researchers may consider sending an orbiter to send data and communications back to Earth.
The team also needs to flesh out how the submarine will get there.
At the moment, they envision carrying submarines like Boeing X-37 space plane.
The atmosphere of the Titan is thick enough that the spacecraft can slide onto Kraken Mare.
It will then merge when the floating sub is released.
There are engineering challenges.
For example, nitrogen is dissolved in the ocean like carbon dioxide in a can of Coke.
The concern is that the radioactive warmth from the submarine
The isotope power supply causes nitrogen blistering.
\"If it has a little bubble, the bubble will accumulate and interfere with our science,\" Oleson said . \".
But there\'s plenty of time to fix it all.
If the submarine does, it will not launch until about 2040 kilometers. In the 2040 s, it will splash on Kraken Mare, when the sun rises all day, when there is a direct communication line with the Earth.
Then it was time to set sail.
By loving us on Facebook, joining 500,000 future fans or following us on Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, and instagram.
If you like this story, please register for bbc weekly.
Com features a newsletter called \"If you only read 6 things this week \".
Every Friday, select stories from BBC Future, Earth, culture, capital, travel and cars are sent to your inbox.
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