Natalia Alvarez Kelsey Bertamus Michael Morgan Talia Strait Natalie Taylor Bulk Characteristics of Titan Diameter 5150 km Average Density 188 gcm 3 Surface Temperature 97K ID: 301550
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Slide1
Mission to Titan
Natalia Alvarez •
Kelsey
Bertamus
•
Michael Morgan • Talia Strait •
Natalie TaylorSlide2Slide3Slide4
Bulk Characteristics of Titan
Diameter: 5,150
kmAverage Density: 1.88
g/cm
3
Surface Temperature: 97K
Surface Pressure: 1.5 barsTheorized to have an interior liquid layer composed of ammonia and water iceSlide5
Guide to Titan
Titan parallels early Earth
Lakes, Atmosphere, Clouds, Rain, Volcanoes, Plate Tectonics.
Only other body in solar system known to harbor stable liquids on its surface.
Weather cycle
Good indications for life or at the very least, pre-earth conditions. Slide6
Atmosphere
Only known moon with an atmosphere.
1.45 Denser than Earth’s
1.19 times as massive.
Result of volcanism or microbial life.
Like a young planet Earth.
Research
simulated atmospheric conditions and were given the building blocks of life.Slide7
Rain on Titan
Recorded evidence of methane rainstorms on Titan in 2010.
Occurred over equator, rather than at poles.
Replenishes methane lakes and river systems.
Skepticism on whether this is any indication of life. Slide8Slide9
Methane Lakes
Thanks to Triple Point and rain, Methane Lakes exist on Titan’s surface
Only known terrestrial body other than Earth to have stable liquids on its surface.
Not difficult to land. Slide10
Cryovolcano
Winter, S Hemisphere.
Sotra
Facula
is a
cryovolcano
Emits water with ammonium, or polyethylene, paraffin waxes, or asphalt. Possibly replenishes methane in atmosphere.
Located at 12degrees S / 39.8 degrees W
235 km wideSlide11
Habitability of Titan
Titan’s PHI is 0.64
Solid Surface
Evidence of tectonics
Atmosphere
Nitrogen and Hydrocarbons
Believed to be similar to Earth’s atmosphere before oxygen was introduced
Surface Liquid
Titan’s 93K surface temperature is directly above the triple point for methane (90.68K)Slide12Slide13
Triple Point
The temperature and pressure at which the three phases (gas, liquid, and solid) of that substance
coexist in equilibrium
.
Different changes in temp and pressure transform substance
to
ice, liquid, vapor.
EARTH’S SURFACE: temps and pressures similar to the triple pt of
WATER
.
TITAN’S SURFACE: temps and pressures similar to the triple pt of
METHANE
.
Image Source:
http://www.nmij.jp/english/library/units/temperature/triple-chart_en.gif
Slide14
Possibility for
Methanogenic Life
2005 – Chris McKay suggested that methane-based (rather than water-based) life on Titan could consume hydrogen, acetylene, and ethane – i.e. organisms called
methanogens
.
EARTH = O2 metabolism
Image Source: http://
www.engr.ku.edu/images/media/methanotrophs.jpg
C
6
H
12
O
6 (glucose)
+ O
2
-> CO
2
+ H
2
OSlide15
Methanogenic
Life (continued)
Titan’s organisms would:
Inhale H2
instead of O2
React it with acetylene (or CO2)
instead
of glucose
Exhale methane
instead
of carbon
dioxide
Water is widespread on Earth, therefore life is widespread on Earth because it uses water.
Analogous to Earth = Liquid methane lakes are widespread on the surface of Titan.
C
2
H
2 (acetylene)
+ 3H
2
-> 2CH
4
Photo source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/PIA10008_Seas_and_Lakes_on_Titan.jpg/300px-PIA10008_Seas_and_Lakes_on_Titan.jpg
TITAN= H2 metabolismSlide16
The Miller-Urey Experiment
The Experiment (1953):
INORGANIC components
ORGANIC components in conditions similar to
pre-biotic Earth.
Warm water + four gases [
H2O, CH4, NH3, and H2
] + electrical discharges
Formed simple organic molecules, including
amino acids
and
RNA nucleotides
.
Formed the idea that on pre-biotic Earth there existed an abundance of RNA life produced through chemical reactions.
In the search for extraterrestrial life? Helps to understand the conditions required for life to form.
Titan’s atmosphere lacks oxygen, but complex organic molecules are present.
Could form biological materials in a pre-biotic habitat resembling that of early Earth.
Photo source:
http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/Exobiology/Pmilurey.gifSlide17
Yellow = hazy surface of Titan
Light gray = ice layer starting near the surfaceBlue = internal oceanLight gray = another layer of ice
Dark gray = mixture of rock and ice in the interior
Titan as a Prebiotic Environment?
Possible host for microbial extraterrestrial life because of its pre-biotic-like environment rich in complex organic chemistry.
Possibly subsurface liquid ocean serving as a biotic environment.
Implications of a possible ammonia-water ocean inside Titan
. Slide18
Past Mission: Cassini-Huygens
NASA / ESA / ASI Spacecraft to study Saturn and its satellites.
Launched in 1997, reached system in 2004
Cassini: first to enter Saturn’s orbit.
To study structure and history of the rings and satellite surfaces.
Studies Titan’s cloud, hazes, and regional surfaces. Slide19
Huygens Probe
Reached Titan Jan 14
th
, 2005
Sent data for 90 minutes after touchdown.
Designed to brake in atmosphere and parachute a robotic lab to the surface.
Sent signals to Cassini to relay back to Earth. Slide20Slide21
Huygens Design
Heat shield and parachute.
6 Types of Instrumentation to study:
Physical and electrical props of atmosphere
Radiation balance in Titan’s atmosphere
Chemicals in Titan’s atmosphere
Volatiles and decompose complex organic materials
Physical properties at point of impact. Slide22
Huygens Findings
Landed in “
Titanian
Mud”
Rounded pebbles imply possible fluid motion.
Dense cloud or thick haze ~ 18 – 20 km from surface. Slide23
Two New Proposals: TSSM and
TiME
Titan Saturn System Mission
Consists of an orbiter and 2 probes.
More features than Huygens.
Titan Mare Explorer
Land in and travel around a methane lake.
To sample and analyze organics for 3 – 6 months.
New power source: Advanced
Stirling
Radioisotope Generator. Slide24
Goals of TSSM &
TiME
Explore Titan as a system.
Study Titan’s organic inventory and
astrobiological
potential
Constrain Titan’s origin and evolution models.
Recover information on
Enceladus
and Saturn’s magnetosphere. Slide25
Landing on Titan
Mission: PLOT
P
robe for
L
ife and
O
rganics on
T
itan
Land in Lake Ontario Lacus
Possibly explore nearby
cryovolcano
Look for Evidence of Life: CO2, acetylene, amino acids, enzymes, isotopic fingerprints
Use Cassini to relay
back dataSlide26
Landing on Titan
Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator
Powerful
generator currently being developed by NASA
.
≥14 year lifetime
Mass ~ 20 kg
Uses 0.8 kg plutonium-238
January 2015
Source: NASASlide27
Testing
Testing
Mass
Spectrometer
Composite Infrared Spectrometer
Test for hotspots in lake
MOD
III
Seismometer
Camera
Image Source: NASASlide28
Mission Target- Ontario Lacus
Located at 72° S
&
183°W
C
omposed of methane, ethane, and propane.
Volume: 7-50 km
3Slide29
Ontario LacusSlide30
Tour of Ontario Lacus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK4n5l7bHSwSlide31
Timeline
Timeline
2017: Launch
2024: Land
The goal is to land and test during winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Slide32
2017
2024Slide33
Cost of Mission
Cost of Mission
Proposed Cost:
1 billion
Includes cost of designing and launching a new probe.
Use of the orbiter from the Cassini mission will cut costs
Cassini-Huygens mission (launched 1997) cost NASA
3.2 billion
! Slide34
Bibliography
… is expensive but IMPORTANT!
The Search for Life