Publication Date:
2011-08-18
Description:
Increased scientific interest in the structure and composition of Titan's atmosphere, clouds and surface have led to the study of mission options to the Saturnian system with the main goal of placing a probe into the atmosphere of the satellite. Two probe concepts have been studied by NASA: the first concept, a slightly modified Galileo probe capable of withstanding approximately 50 earth G during atmospheric entry heating and deceleration, would consist of a blunted 53 degree, 136-cm-diameter half-angle cone with a hemispherical afterbody, and a descent module containing scientific instruments and a parachute; the second concept, a system designed to provide in situ atmospheric measurements of Titan's organic haze layer, would consist of a probe using a 165-cm deployable graphite fabric decelerator, a 50-cm-diameter cylindrical descent module containing five instruments and a 2.5 m-diameter parachute and a 50-cm-radius spherical nose cap. Although the modified Galileo probe is feasible, its scientific drawback includes its inability to obtain in situ measurements above approximately 100 km.
Keywords:
LUNAR AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION
Type:
(ISSN 0007-084X); 37; 366-369
Format:
text
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