At Saturn’s distance from the Sun, sunlight is only 1% as strong as it is on Earth. Titan’s haze blocks most of the rest. Therefore, Dragonfly can’t rely on solar power—it will operate on batteries during the day and recharge at night from a nuclear power source similar to the ones used on NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. Days and nights on Titan are each about 8 Earth days long, and Dragonfly will be able to fly once per Titan day.
Dragonfly also carries a suite of instruments that will directly analyze Titan’s atmosphere, allowing scientists to see how it changes with the days and seasons. This could help us understand how Earth’s atmosphere formed. The spacecraft will also measure any Titanquakes with a seismometer. And, of course, Dragonfly has cameras to take aerial images as it soars through Titan’s skies. These photos will help the mission team scout for Dragonfly’s next destinations, and will also give the public awe-inspiring panoramic views of this mysterious moon.
What you can do to support Dragonfly
Dragonfly may not be launching until 2026, but its team has plenty of work to do before then, including the development and construction of the spacecraft. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, The Downlink, and we’ll keep you up-to-date on major milestones as the mission progresses. You can also share this page with a friend, spread the word on social media, and encourage others to learn about this exciting mission.
In the meantime, you can learn more about why and how we explore Saturn and its moons. We have a wealth of Saturn and Titan pictures in our image library, and by sharing the beauty of space with others, you can help us build public support for future missions.
Finally, learn why missions like Dragonfly can’t happen without sustained support from NASA, the White House, Congress, the scientific community, industry, and the public—that means you! Take our Space Advocacy 101 course to learn the inner works of NASA, how Congress develops space legislation, and how to engage with your elected officials.
from The Planetary Society Articles https://ift.tt/2WW69S8
via IFTTT
沒有留言:
張貼留言