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It's too bad that probe can't eject something



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 15th 05, 07:26 AM
RichA
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Default It's too bad that probe can't eject something

To cause ripples in what sure looks like liquid
then image it.
-Rich
  #2  
Old January 15th 05, 09:16 AM
Matthew Ota
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I am sure that will all of the excitement over the probe, that a follow
up mission will be approved. Collaboration between the USA and Europe
was a great success for this misssion. It was good for NASA as the
collaboration made the project bulletproof from the bean counters in
Washington.

One idea is to lower a rover from a blimp.

Titan is proving to be the most exciting world to explore outside of the
earth. A second world in out solar system with liquid oceans at the surface.

Matthew Ota
JPL Saturn Observation Campaign

RichA wrote:
To cause ripples in what sure looks like liquid
then image it.
-Rich

  #3  
Old January 15th 05, 01:19 PM
John Carruthers
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To cause ripples in what sure looks like liquid
then image it.
-Rich

There was a penetrometer, first results look like a "creme brulee"
consistency, a thin crust over something more squidgy (soft sand/clay
consistency?).

--
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/jc_atm/


  #4  
Old January 15th 05, 01:25 PM
Gil
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Would be a tough mission - would probably require an orbiter and a
lander - can't imagine that a lander alone would be powerful enough to
directly relay data to earth. Cassini captured data only until it was
over the horizon from the lander's viewpoint.

  #5  
Old January 15th 05, 03:35 PM
fstops
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Matthew Ota wrote in
:


One idea is to lower a rover from a blimp.


There would be no way to communicate with it without a Titan orbiter to
relay. Cassini won't be back for a while. Direct communications such as is
just barely possible with the Mars Exploration Rovers is out of the
question for Saturn. Unless the thing was a giant dish antenna on wheels.
Plus, how are your going to power the transmitter? Solar power is out for
Titan. Nuclear power would be heavy and would have all the kooks protesting
at the launch. Batteries aren't going to power a transmitter at Saturn for
long. Bryan
  #6  
Old January 16th 05, 12:33 AM
Davoud
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RichA:
To cause ripples in what sure looks like liquid then image it.


That's why we need to send a _man_ to Titan. Not a woman, a _man_. He
could videograph himself standing there ****ing in the pond.

Davoud

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  #7  
Old January 16th 05, 12:38 AM
RichA
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On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 12:19:34 -0000, "John Carruthers"
wrote:

To cause ripples in what sure looks like liquid

then image it.
-Rich

There was a penetrometer, first results look like a "creme brulee"
consistency, a thin crust over something more squidgy (soft sand/clay
consistency?).


I have no idea of the physical dynamics of liquified methane, I don't
even know if it behaves like water because the only sub-freezing
liquids I've seen are exposed to our tempertures and react violently.
But, the look of the photographs, the darkening of the small rocks/ice
below the large ones seems to indicate they are immersed in something.
Is it possible that the "liquid" is frozen slightly on top (like a
lake in early winter) and that the sub-frozen surface "liquid" is of
a consistency greater than that of water, like a "slushy" state?
-Rich
  #8  
Old January 16th 05, 01:14 AM
Julia's Cakes
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NASA says it landed on something withthe consistency of packed snow

RichA wrote:

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 12:19:34 -0000, "John Carruthers"
wrote:

To cause ripples in what sure looks like liquid

then image it.
-Rich

There was a penetrometer, first results look like a "creme brulee"
consistency, a thin crust over something more squidgy (soft sand/clay
consistency?).


I have no idea of the physical dynamics of liquified methane, I don't
even know if it behaves like water because the only sub-freezing
liquids I've seen are exposed to our tempertures and react violently.
But, the look of the photographs, the darkening of the small rocks/ice
below the large ones seems to indicate they are immersed in something.
Is it possible that the "liquid" is frozen slightly on top (like a
lake in early winter) and that the sub-frozen surface "liquid" is of
a consistency greater than that of water, like a "slushy" state?
-Rich


  #9  
Old January 16th 05, 04:56 AM
Drew
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On 15 Jan 2005 04:25:51 -0800, "Gil"
wrote:

Would be a tough mission - would probably require an orbiter and a
lander - can't imagine that a lander alone would be powerful enough to
directly relay data to earth. Cassini captured data only until it was
over the horizon from the lander's viewpoint.


Sounds like a job for the second nuclear-powered Prometheus mission
after the first one is sent to Jupiter. I can only guess how many
eco-anarchists will try to kill that mission though.

It also possible that Cassini, with it's RTGs and reaction wheel
control system, may survive long enough to act as relay for another
Titan lander (preferably a balloon probe since the thick atmosphere
and haze makes detailed orbital study of the surface at 1 kilometer
per pixel resolution difficult...there appear to be a lot of channels
down there that I think a rover would have trouble getting across).

-Drew

  #10  
Old January 16th 05, 06:16 AM
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They should test to see if the atmosphere is methane by lighting a
match.

 




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