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Titan Explorer Public Report Flagship Mission Study January 2008 07-05735 January 2008 Public Release Version Titan Explorer Flagship Mission Study Prepared for NASA’s Planetary Science Division By The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Johns Hopkins University would like to extend a special thank you to all of the team members and to NASA’s Planetary Science Division for the opportunity to investigate this amazing mission concept. The Titan Explorer Team Science Definition Team NASA ISPT • Ralph Lorenz (APL, Study Scientist & co- • TitanGRAM, Consulting – Michelle Munk chair) (NASA LaRC) • J. Hunter Waite (SwRI, co-chair) • Rosaly Lopes (JPL) Stanley Associates • Scot Rafkin (SwRI) • TitanGRAM, Cassini/Huygens Comparison – • Devon Burr (SETI) Carl G. (Jere) Justus (NASA MSFC) • F. Michael Flasar (NASA GSFC) • Andrew Steele (CIW) APL • Gerald Schubert (UCLA) • Study Lead – JC Leary • Kevin Baines (JPL) • Systems Engineer – MK Lockwood • Bill Kurth (U. Iowa) • Mission Design – JJ Guzman • Jonathan Lunine (U. Arizona) • Propulsion – SS Bushman • Dale Cruikshank (NASA Ames) • Avionics – P Eisenreich • Power – G Dakermanji JPL • Mechanical Design – W Cheng, • JPL Team Lead – K Reh SR Vernon, DH Napolillo • Systems Engineering & Instruments – • Software & Data Systems – DA Artis J Elliott • Communications – JR Bruzzi • Mission Concept/Architect – T Spilker • Thermal – CJ Ercol • Mission Design & Navigation – • Guidance & Control – JW Hunt N Strange, J Sims, R Haw, Damon Landau, • Mission Operations – RL Nelson Peter Antreasian • Parts – JL Farnan • Aerial Vehicle Design – J Hall, J Jones • I&T, Contamination, & Planetary Protection – • Avionics – Jason Willis, T Hoffman SP Thibault • Power – R Ewell • Instruments – JD Boldt, • Telecom – B Lovick WB Brinckerhoff • Thermal – B Miyake • Structural Analysis – DF Persons • MOS/GDS – G Welz • Costing – ME Jones, LS Wolfarth • Costing – E Jorgensen • Mission Assurance – CK Kim • Report Generation – MK Morris, DJ Dorsey, NASA LaRC VM Grey, J Elbaz, D George • Atmospheric Flight Trajectory Simulation, Aerodynamics, G&C – J Prince, ILC Dover – Landing System Design D Powell, E Queen ii 2007 Titan Explorer Mission Concept Study – Public Release Version TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................... 1-1 2. TITAN SCIENCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES................................................. 2-1 2.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................2-1 2.1.1 Titan and Earth ...................................................................................2-1 2.1.2 Titan’s Atmosphere.............................................................................2-2 2.1.3 Atmospheric Evolution and Magnetospheric Interaction.....................2-7 2.1.4 Titan’s Geology.................................................................................2-10 2.1.4.1 Titan’s Topography .......................................................2-13 2.1.5 Titan’s Interior ...................................................................................2-13 2.1.6 Titan and the Origins of Life..............................................................2-15 2.2 Titan Science Objectives Development............................................................2-19 2.3 Titan Explorer Capabilities ...............................................................................2-23 2.3.1 Inter-Platform Synergy......................................................................2-23 2.3.2 Orbiter Capabilities Compared with Cassini .....................................2-24 2.4 Mission Factors................................................................................................2-25 2.4.1 Timeframe.........................................................................................2-25 2.4.2 Landing Site Selection ......................................................................2-28 2.4.3 Balloon Deployment Location ...........................................................2-29 2.5 Operations/Mission...........................................................................................2-29 2.6 Payload............................................................................................................2-30 2.6.1 Orbiter Payload.................................................................................2-31 2.6.1.1 Radar Altimeter.............................................................2-31 2.6.1.2 Synthetic Aperture Radar..............................................2-33 2.6.1.3 Subsurface Radar/Ionosphere Sounder........................2-34 2.6.1.4 Spectral Mapper............................................................2-36 2.6.1.5 Visible/1-Micron Imager................................................2-37 2.6.1.6 Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer ....................................2-38 2.6.1.7 Plasma Package...........................................................2-39 2.6.1.8 Energetic Particle Instrument ........................................2-39 2.6.1.9 Orbiter Magnetometer ...................................................2-40 2.6.1.10 Langmuir Probe.............................................................2-40 2.6.1.11 Orbiter Thermal IR Spectrometer..................................2-41 2.6.1.12 Orbiter UV Spectrometer...............................................2-42 2.6.1.13 Orbiter Microwave Spectrometer ..................................2-42 2.6.1.14 Orbiter Radio Science...................................................2-44 2.6.2 Aerial Vehicle (Balloon) Payload Overview ......................................2-44 2.6.2.1 Balloon Visible Imager..................................................2-45 2.6.2.2 Balloon Meteorology Package......................................2-46 2.6.2.3 Balloon Near-IR Spectrometer......................................2-47 2.6.2.4 Balloon Tunable Diode Laser Spectrometer/ Nephelometer................................................................2-48 2.6.2.5 Balloon Subsurface Sounder ........................................2-48 2.6.2.6 Balloon Radio Science..................................................2-49 2.6.3 Lander Payload Overview.................................................................2-50 2.6.3.1 Seismometer .................................................................2-50 2.6.3.2 Lander Meteorology Package.......................................2-51 Contents iii 2007 Titan Explorer Mission Concept Study – Public Release Version 2.6.3.3 Robotic Arm..................................................................2-52 2.6.3.4 Lander Chemical Analyzer............................................2-52 2.6.3.5 Cryogenic Surface Sampling and Processing System..2-58 2.6.3.6 Microscopic Imager.......................................................2-59 2.6.3.7 Lander Spectrometer....................................................2-59 2.6.3.8 Lander Panoramic Imager.............................................2-60 2.6.3.9 Descent Imager.............................................................2-60 2.6.3.10 Lander Magnetometer...................................................2-61 2.6.3.11 Lander Radio Science...................................................2-61 2.6.3.12 Outreach Experiment – UAV.........................................2-62 2.7 Science Return.................................................................................................2-63 2.7.1 Lander Data Return ..........................................................................2-63 2.7.2 Balloon Data Return .........................................................................2-64 2.7.3 Data Return in Case of Orbiter Failure .............................................2-64 2.8 Mission Architecture and Rational Descopes...................................................2-65 2.9 Science Objective Mapping to Instruments and Architecture...........................2-66 2.10 Payload Options ...............................................................................................2-70 3. MISSION ARCHITECTURE ASSESSMENT..................................................... 3-1 3.1 Architectural Identification and Evaluation Process............................................3-1 3.2 Architecture Evaluation......................................................................................3-2 3.2.1 Science Objectives.............................................................................3-2 3.2.2 Technical Viability and Risk ................................................................3-3 3.2.3 Deep Space Propulsion ......................................................................3-4 3.2.4 Launch Vehicle...................................................................................3-5 3.2.5 Launch Data and Trajectory Selection................................................3-5 3.2.6 Launch Stack Configuration................................................................3-5 3.3 Initial Cost Analysis............................................................................................3-6 3.4 Selection.............................................................................................................3-6 3.5 Initial Risk Analysis.............................................................................................3-6 4. MISSION IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Mission Architecture Overview
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