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Mission to Titan: Saturn’s Largest Moon

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Mission to Titan: Saturn’s Largest Moon

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has a wide range of common attributes with Earth, including

a thick, nitrogen atmosphere and natural features like mountains, lakes, and rivers. In some

unique ways, we can consider Titan as a relatively more minor representation or form of Earth,

stuck within the period when life evolved on this planet. Research shows that Titan consists of

various organic compositions necessary to support life and is the only moon within the entire

solar system with a dense atmosphere and bodies with liquid features on the surface (Zhao et al.,

2018). The Titanian oceans, different from those on Earth, are not made up of water but instead

take the form of a pattern of hydrocarbon lakes. The presence of a relatively rich organic

atmosphere prompts us to explore the composition of the hydrocarbon lakes and seas, which is

essential for establishing the crucial foundations for complex organic compounds and whether or

not Titan has the potential to support life. We propose that deploying a helium balloon or

controllable blimp and lander to Titan, the largest moon on planet Saturn would enable the

analysis of the structure and composition of the vast hydrocarbon lakes and seas located on the

body to determine its life-supporting potential.

Various missions have been carried out to Titan in the past with diverse objectives and

goals, resulting in different findings. The Huygens probe (2005) was a significant aspect of the

Cassini-Huygens mission consisting of collaborative efforts between the Italian Space Agency,

the European Space Agency (ESA), and NASA (Nixon et al., 2018). It landed on Titan's surface,

having descended through the atmosphere and serving as the first spacecraft to be deployed and

land on a moon exterior of the solar system. The probe offered comprehensive information about

Titan’s thick nitrogenic atmosphere, depicting a multifaceted structure of layers with diverse

concentrations of hydrocarbons and methane.

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Huygens captured data and images when descending through the atmosphere of Titan,

depicting an extensive landscape of dark, smooth-edged pebbles and a landscape that resembles a

dry river. It also observed various dark regions that were suspected to represent liquid methane

seas and lakes, strengthening the fact that Titan possesses a hydrological cycle similar to planet

Earth, with methane playing a significant function equivalent to water on Earth. Titan's

hydroclimate appears to be driven by extensive topography, considering the coincidence of

erosional modification, active drainage, saturated sediments, and ostensibly stable lacustrine

facets located within the low-lying region of the body. According to Zhao et al. (2018), polar

seas and lakes represent surface expressions of an incessant, connected methane table that

intersects with the surface. By analyzing the morphology and topography of the landing sites, the

lander would enable the shading of more light on the history of Titan's hydrocarbon body

masses, seas, and lakes, including potential sedimentation and erosion processes based on

findings from previous explorations on the body (Nixon et al., 2018). The probe’s ability to

capture images would enable us to extensively assess the chemical composition and structure of

the Titanian terrain, offering vital information about the existence of various organic compounds

and the connection between the liquid hydrocarbons and the surface materials.

Deploying one of the forms of a helium balloon, referred to as a controllable blimp,

would serve as a surface recovery or an aerobot along the lander for the Titan's liquid

hydrocarbon seas and solid surfaces. This aerobot recovery would consist of a fabric exterior

surface and an interior helium balloon. An inflating wheel on the blimp's lower part would be

used for landing, which might soften contact with rocks, ice, or other surfaces. The Aerover

would be the perfect all-terrain vehicle if it could float on the projected liquid methane oceans. It

would most likely be able to circumnavigate the Titan once or twice per week at an altitude of
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approximately 6 miles, providing images and relevant data for research relatively below the

upper thick clouds that limit sight from Titan orbit or Earth (Abplanalp et al., 2019). It would

take nearly ten years to complete the mission. Adopting a blimp-like device is mainly attainable

since Titan is the only moon along the solar system with a substantial atmosphere nearly four

times denser than Earth's.

Although much is known about Titan, numerous mysteries are still associated with this

body. One of the most common unresolved mysteries is the cycle of liquid. Across the Titan,

many oceans are made up of liquid methane, which typically evaporates into the atmosphere

creating methane clouds that fall as rain and form mists and rivers. According to Rodriguez et al.

(2022), the moon’s lower surface temperatures, nearly 179 degrees Celsius, keep ethane and

methane in the form of a liquid. Comprehending how these hydrocarbons circulate between the

surface and atmosphere and what specifically influences their dynamic behavior or conduct is an

essential mystery to resolve. This prompts the question; What processes allow for the existence

of constant methane lakes and seas? Are there any underground reservoirs that maintain the

continuous existence of these liquids?

By launching the proposed lander and balloon Titan, we could aid in understanding the

cyclic and constant existing nature of liquid hydrocarbons within the moon's surface. This

mission would offer invaluable insights and data about various critical facets of Titan's

hydrocarbon lakes and oceans, paving the way to establishing whether or not there exists a

potential to support life on Titan. By integrating surface-based analyses with atmospheric

evaluations, this mission could enhance our comprehension of the Titanian hydrocarbon lakes

and oceans and enable in-depth analysis and direct exploration of the moon’s attributes, geology,

and composition. Given its ability to float about within the atmosphere and take extremely high-
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resolution images, the proposed lander would allow for an analysis of the unique chemical

compositions of the terrain, offering crucial information about the existence of organic

compounds and the relation between the liquid hydrocarbons and the surface material.

In conclusion, deploying the proposed controllable blimp and lander with the ability to

capture high-resolution images through Titan's atmosphere and the hydrocarbon seas and lakes of

the body would essentially be an innovative mission that holds significant potential for

advancing and reinforcing our understanding of the moon's hydrocarbons. This mission would

offer significant data on the composition, dynamics, and conduct of the hydrocarbon lakes and

seas, providing vital insights into the moon's surface and atmospheric processes. Data gathered

would also contribute to reinforcing our comprehension of Titan's intriguing structure and its

implications for planetary science and astrobiology.

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References

Abplanalp, M. J., Frigge, R., & Kaiser, R. I. (2019). Low-temperature synthesis of polycyclic

aromatic hydrocarbons in Titan’s surface ices and on airless bodies. Science

Advances, 5(10), eaaw5841. https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.aaw5841

Nixon, C. A., Lorenz, R. D., Achterberg, R. K., Buch, A., Coll, P., Clark, R. N., ... & Yelle, R. V.

(2018). Titan's cold case files-Outstanding questions after Cassini-Huygens. Planetary

and Space Science, 155, 50-72.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063317302854

Rodriguez, S., Vinatier, S., Cordier, D., Tobie, G., Achterberg, R. K., Anderson, C. M., ... &

West, R. A. (2022). Science goals and new mission concepts for future exploration of

Titan's atmosphere, geology and habitability: Titan POlar scout/orbitEr and in situ lake

lander and DrONe explorer (POSEIDON). Experimental Astronomy, 54(2-3), 911-973.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10686-021-09815-8

Zhao, L., Kaiser, R. I., Xu, B., Ablikim, U., Ahmed, M., Evseev, M. M., ... & Mebel, A. M.

(2018). Low-temperature formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Titan’s

atmosphere. Nature Astronomy, 2(12), 973-979. Retrieved from,

https://www.osti.gov/pages/servlets/purl/1603089