Comparing Mars to Titan is like comparing Bermuda during the summer with
Antarctica during its winter. It might be possible to design a balloon to use
solar heating to inflate and deflate itself on Mars, but Titan it a lot farther
away, the atmosphere is thicker and therefore acts like a thermal blanket, and
the temperatures a lot colder. As an electronics and systems engineer, I don't
see the problems of a balloon to be any less in number, or any less daunting,
than a rover. We simply don't know, and cannot really test for, the properties
of a balloon in a Titan environment. I also see the same problems with a rover,
but at least with a rover you can see, stop, and consider your next move at a
leisurely pace, where a balloon is going to keep going right into that hillside.

So at this time, I don't see that a balloon is any better from an engineering
development standpoint and uncertainties as to whether it will work standpoint
over a rover. But at least the rover won't be moving uncontrollably as you try
and figure out how to avoid that hill in front of you.
--
Sincerely,
--- Dave
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It don't mean a thing
unless it has that certain "je ne sais quoi"
Duke Ellington
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"PaulCsouls" wrote in message
...

Here is the article that inpired my comment.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/0...eut/index.html

And here are articles about about a hot air balloon on Mars.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/news-item202.htm
http://www.spacechannel.org/pumpkin.html

Yes you will need batteries, but as an electronics engineer I know the
electronics need alot less power than motors. You will need to power
the transmitters and an orbital repeater is not difficult technology
if we don't pack alot of science into the orbiter. Also with the low
temperatures I feel lubricating moving parts will be a big challenge.
Okay maybe landing is more difficult than I thought but I believe I
saw originally some Mars balloons designed to fly during the day
heated by solar power and land at night. I don't think a Titan rover
will happen anytime soon. I think a balloon is a more reasonable goal.

Paul C.

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 08:21:34 GMT, "David Nakamoto"
wrote:

You need batteries whether you fly or drive. Or do you think the instruments
on
board don't need electrical power, let alone the computer to control the
balloon's altitude and terrain avoidance?

And you can't use solar cells. Not enough power. So you're going to use some
form of battery to power the thing, no matter what.
QED

Also, the original poster had his balloon landing now and again to do insitu
measurements. Landing a balloon over a selected spot is tricky at best and
impossible at worst. Adding this to the mission complicates things,
especially
if the goal is to find an interesting site and then go there to investigate.

Of course, you could try doing both at the same time. This sounds reasonable
to
me. The balloon stays aloft, depending on how much altitude variance is found
on Titan. The rover ferrets a much smaller area in detail.