Mission to Titan - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Mission to Titan

Natalia Alvarez •

Kelsey

Bertamus

•

Michael Morgan • Talia Strait •

Natalie TaylorSlide2
Slide3
Slide4

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. Slide8
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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)Slide12
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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

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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. Slide20
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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