Dragonfly (Nuclear Powerd Drone) to Investigate Titan!!

Discussion in 'Science' started by WillReadmore, Nov 23, 2020.

  1. WillReadmore

    WillReadmore Well-Known Member

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    Surely this is one of the coolest science missions planned for the reasonably near future. (Manned flights are focused on engineering.)

    The idea is that rovers can't really go that far given terrain and other issues.

    So, NASA is going to fly a 1000 lb, 8 bladed nuclear powered drone to Jupiter's largest moon so it can fly around looking at a far wider area than a land based vehicle could possibly accomplish!
    [​IMG]

    The Dragonfly drone is flying upper left. The lower vehicle may be another drone view or it may be the rover that will make the trip, too.

    (Artistic license on terrain, obviously.)
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2020
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  2. Spooky

    Spooky Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    It's funny that they only expected the rovers to last about a month since their batteries couldn't recharge as the solar panels would be covered with dust.

    It turns out that little dust Devils would blow over them and remove all the dust.
     
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  3. Melb_muser

    Melb_muser Well-Known Member Donor

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  4. Melb_muser

    Melb_muser Well-Known Member Donor

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    This one will be nuclear powered (apparently). Perhaps you were thinking about Mars?
     
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  5. Aleksander Ulyanov

    Aleksander Ulyanov Well-Known Member

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    Where do they get those wonderful toys?
     
  6. Melb_muser

    Melb_muser Well-Known Member Donor

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    The dorky kids finally grew up. You know... the kids up front of class that got spit-balls shot at them. Revenge!
     
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  7. JakeJ

    JakeJ Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Humans to figure out how to manage our planet before finding other ones to screw up.
     
  8. wgabrie

    wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

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    Oh, yay! What a way to use new technology. Very nice, very interesting. :)
     
  9. dharbert

    dharbert Well-Known Member

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    I'm all for science, but why bother with Titan? Isn't it -200 degrees with lakes of liquid methane? Not exactly conducive to life...
     
  10. WillReadmore

    WillReadmore Well-Known Member

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    NASA lost its Opportunity rover to dust.

    Significant storms could remove dust, but those storms would have to be timed such that the rover would have power during Martian winter.

    Apparantly that didn't happen. So, Opportunity is considered to have been permanently damaged - as in dead.

    The mission with Dragonfly is headed too far from the sun for solar pannels to be sufficient. So, it and the associated rover on that mission will be nuclear powered.
     
  11. WillReadmore

    WillReadmore Well-Known Member

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    Well, not conducive to life as we know it.

    Of the 150 or so moons in our solar system, Titan is the only one with a serious atmosphere. Yes, it's cold on the surface, but has lakes, rivers, etc. of hydrocarbons.

    From NASA:
    Is that enouh to justiy a visit? I can't answer that! But, I think learning more about our solar system is a legitimate goal that goes beyond the search for life.
     
  12. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    Obviously but life isn't the only reason to engage in extending knowledge. My problem with it is that we will borrow or print money to do it. We need to stop doing that.
     

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