Poll New Titan Boat Proposal/Favorite Discovery Program Candidate Mission

[Unstung]

NASA has selected three finalists to fly under the Discovery Program, which launches relatively cheap exploration missions. Despite how each idea has great potential, only one mission will be fully funded to fly in 2016:
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiME]Titan Mare Explorer (TiME)[/ame] — A watercraft that will drift along and explore a sea, and possibly shoreline, of Titan.
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InSight]GEMS/InSight[/ame] — A stationary lander that will probe into the surface of Mars to explore its geologic history.
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hopper]Comet Hopper (CHopper)[/ame] — A mission to orbit and hop around a comet while collecting data.

Which mission do you think is the best choice and why?


InSight won the final round, and its own mission thread is located here: http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=28769
I'm trying to re-purpose this thread instead of creating a new one with some news on a new Titan boat proposal.

 

[MattBaker]

Give all a Go!

But if I had to pick one, it would be TiME. The fact, that water (ice) is on another body in the solar system is interesting if you want to find extraterrestial life.
For the InSight mission I would propose to feature something like that on a future rover. You could drill on more than one place and when the rover is unable to drive (stuck like Spirit or winter like Opportunity now) you could gather a lot of interesting data.

 

[Codz]

Titan has lakes of methane, not ice.

 

[Mattyv]

Too bad we can't fund them all.

 

[Unstung]

I also support TiME, it's the closest to the forefront of exploration and will explore Titan much more in depth than Huygens. It also has the low, but tantalizing, potential to discover life. We've already sent plenty of missions to Mars and Rosetta will arrive at a comet in 2014. That being said, I think InSight is a close second because of the scientific data it will provide.

 

[Pipcard]

I love backronyms for spacecraft.

 

[Unstung]

Come on Orbitnauts, I thought you were passionate about spaceflight. More people should be aware of these missions, they are truly awesome and would have been science fiction for nearly all of human history. Unfortunately only one can fly, and people here are able to reason very adequately. Maybe someone has a background in geology and can share the grandeur of the formation of terrestrial planets. I wasn't even aware that images from Huygens' descent were stitched together to form panoramas until TiME made me curious; those images are much more beautiful than the rocky landscape Huygens captured while on the surface.

 

[Codz]

I definately support TiME.

 

[TMac3000]

Titan, hands down:thumbup:

 

[Felipi1205]

I am supporting the TiME too, it is one of the most ambicious missions of the spaceflight history...

 

[NovaSilisko]

I firmly believe Titan and Enceledus should be our primary targets for outer solar system exploration, so I'm going with TiME (Sorry Europa, but you're a poser )

 

[Codz]

Why Enceledus? Europa seems far more likely to harbor life.

 

[MattBaker]

Well, it's confirmed that Enceladus has H2O on it, at least a plume at the south pole, at Europa it's nothing more than a hypothesis, a locigal hypothesis, but no proof of water (ice).
Because of that NASA scientist said the most likely body in the solar system to have life is Enceladus.

 

[Codz]

Well, it's confirmed that Enceladus has H2O on it, at least a plume at the south pole, at Europa it's nothing more than a hypothesis, a locigal hypothesis, but no proof of water (ice).
Because of that NASA scientist said the most likely body in the solar system to have life is Enceladus.

Here.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16nov_europa/

 

[NovaSilisko]

Another interesting prospect on titan is the possibility that it too has an ocean of water under the surface.

 

[MattBaker]

Thanks.:tiphat:
Enceladus' water is easier to access though, but Europa's and Titan's is not directly exposed to the environment.:hmm:
Send a probe to all three

 

[Sky Captain]

I say go for Titan. It is among the most interesting moons in solar system.

 

[Unstung]

TiME didn't win, but this mission is related to that proposal:
"Paddleboat Mission to Titan Proposed"
Europe might advance its own Titan boat.
Here's a .pdf presenting the mission: http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2012/EPSC2012-64.pdf

The principle objective shall be to characterize Titan environment, lakes and terrain chemical composition, rich in hydrocarbons and nitrogen.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Another interesting prospect on titan is the possibility that it too has an ocean of water under the surface.

Are you sure? Ive heard some very convincing arguments that an odd gas distribution property in its atmosphere could be evidence of bacterial life living on a ammonia based chemical sytem, instead of water based, but I dont think whole oceans under titan are considered likely.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Why Enceledus? Europa seems far more likely to harbor life.

Yup, but under a many miles thick crust of ice. We can't really get down there, yet. Enceladus' interior is virtually exposed by virtue of its fountains.