Titan Balloon Mission Being Drafted

eldavojohn writes "After Huygens & Cassini corrected our assumptions about Titan (a moon of Saturn), scientists are now debating about their next mission, and one of the choices is the Titan and Saturn System Mission. What makes Titan a good choice? 'Although the atmosphere of Titan is filled with a smoggy orange hydrocarbon haze, it is primarily composed of nitrogen — just like Earth's. In fact, Astrobiologists think Titan's atmosphere may be quite similar to how the Earth's was billions of years ago, before life on our planet generated oxygen.' We also discussed its liquid hydrocarbons earlier this year."

Liquid Hydrocarbons and possible life?

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

I think they might be in need of some Democracy... American style.

Who will man the balloon?

[Hoplite3]

I have several candidates in mind for those ...capable... of piloting a balloon through a poisonous atmosphere into a poison sea.

So...

[Corpuscavernosa]

... that'd be a hell of a long trip in a balloon and it seems that ya really wouldn't even need the balloon part in space, being no air and all. Maybe put some rockets or somethin' on the basket. I guess you could git the balloon out again once entering Titan's atmosphere but ya know, I just don't geddit!

smoggy orange hydrocarbon haze

[Baruch Atta]

"...Although the atmosphere of Titan is filled with a smoggy orange hydrocarbon haze..."
Just like L.A. Let's go there.

Re:Liquid Hydrocarbons and possible life?

[Andr T.]

Yeah, look at all that poisonous gas. I'm sure everyone will agree that's more than one WMD.

Re:Billions of years ago....

[morgan_greywolf]

Yeah. We all know the Earth is only 6,000 years old

It's just a weather balloon. Stop asking questions

[mahsah]

Does NASA really think that the people of Titan will believe that the UFO flying over their methane fields was really just a weather balloon!?

Get Dennis Kucinich on the job!

Re:Democratic

[MrNaz]

Not possible. If we tasted like chicken cannibalism would be more common.

Re:Terraforming

[__aailrp9629]

No, you just have to bundle up before going outside.

Re:Who will man the balloon?

[cpricejones]

So the choice is still (ahem) up in the air?