Proposed Space Boat Could Explore Lakes On Saturn’s Moon Titan

Proposed Space Boat Could Explore Lakes On Saturn’s Moon Titan

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While rovers are ideal for exploring Mars, a boat is best for Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Scientists are proposing a new mission to explore this alluring world that would send a floating probe to land in a lake on Titan, the largest of the more than 60 natural satellites of Saturn. Smaller than Earth but wider than Mercury, Titan is in many ways more like a planet than a moon. It’s covered in seas, lakes and rivers of methane, and hosts a thick atmosphere, making it one of the most Earth-like bodies in the solar system.

The proposed Titan Lake In-situ Sampling Propelled Explorer (TALISE) mission would land a boat, propelled by wheels, paddles or screws, to float around Ligeia Mare, the largest lake on the moon, located near Titan’s north pole. After splashing down, TALISE would make its way to the coast over the course of a trip lasting six months to a year.