Robot submarine explores extraterrestrial oceans

The US Aerospace Agency is designing specialized robotic submarines operating in the hearts of extremely cold oceans and filled with hydrocarbons.

So far the only celestial body in the solar system outside the globe contains sea of ​​liquid on the surface. Far from the blue ocean of the earth and the sea on Titan contains a liquid mixture consisting mainly of methane and ethane, at a temperature of -184 ^o C, according to Space.com site, which resulted from the aviation agency. US universe (NASA) collected. The next plan is that NASA will launch Titan's largest unmanned submarine into the sea, Kraken Mare , which covers an area of ​​400,000 square kilometers.

One of the robot submarine design models is being considered.(PHOTO: NASA GLENN / NIAC).

The submarine's mission is to search for clues that can relieve some of the suspicions of pursuing scientific circles, at least those who specialize in Titan research at night. For example, how does the hydrogen-filled seas of Saturn moon interact with the atmosphere containing more than 98% nitrogen? That's what Ian Richardson, materials science engineer at Washington State University (USA), wants to know. Specialist Richardson is responsible for creating a marine model for Titan's submarine project. Although engineers still study the mixes of cold ethane and methane in the form of liquefied gas (LNG), no one knows how the waters filled with hydrocarbons on Titan react in the atmospheric environment mainly nitrogen .

At Washington State University laboratory, expert Richardson built a pressure chamber, pumped it into nitrogen, poured about 1 liter of ethane and liquid methane, cooled it to -184 ^° C. Next, he sank a block. small cylinder (acting as a submarine model) inside the liquid mixture simulated under the condition of Titan seabed. The artificial 'sea' temperature and pressure are changed so that researchers can observe submarine activity at different depths. The model can also mimic the chemical mixture inside Titan's waters. If the entire ocean of the Earth contains sea water, Titan's Kraken Mare Sea is rich in ethane, and Ligeia Mare Sea is full of methane, although the scientific world is still unknown.

Close up of polarity of moon Titan.(PHOTO: NASA).

If the mission is passed, the submarine can be launched in the mid-2030s and to Saturn in the late 2030s or early 2040s, according to space engineer Jason Hartwig, who works for NASA. At that time, the Saturn system, which now takes about 29 years to complete the sun around the sun, will be closer to the sun. The group led by Hartwig engineers is studying two different designs for robot submarines. First, the submarine body is oblong, about 6 m long, and transmits data directly to the earth. The other is a circular submarine called Titan Turtle , which contacts the ground station via a spaceship in orbit.