AVIATR

AVIATR

Artist's rendering of the AVIATR airplane flying over the surface of Titan.
Mission type Titan airplane
Operator originally directed towards NASA Discovery program
Mission duration 1 year flying over Titan surface [1]
Spacecraft properties
Power 254 W Total (2 x 128 W ASRGs)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date 2017 (proposed)[1]
Rocket Atlas V 521 [1]

AVIATR (Aerial Vehicle for In situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance) is a proposed airplane mission concept to Titan, a moon of Saturn. The concept was developed by a team of scientists led by University of Idaho's Dr. Jason W. Barnes.[1][2] Compared to Earth, Titan has about one-seventh the gravity but four times the atmospheric density.[3] These conditions make it easier to fly there.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Barnes et al. (March 2012). "AVIATR – Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance.". Experimental Astronomy 33, March 2012, 55-127. doi: 10.1007/s10686-011-9275-9.(open access). Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  2. ↑ Ortiz, Lillian (2 January 2012). "AVIATR: An Airplane Mission for Titan". Universe Today. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1

External links