Cassini Spacecraft RADAR Images Xanadu, Hotei Arcus & Tortola Facula on Titan.

[3488]

<p><font size="2" color="#000000"><strong>Thought this was worthy enough for its own thread.&nbsp;</strong></font></p><p><font size="2" color="#000000"><strong>SAR images not released as yet, but its worth keeping an eye out.&nbsp;I will post / link to them unless someone else does first.</strong></font></p><p><strong><font size="2">Looks like there may be some cryovolcanic goodies in store. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-smile.gif" border="0" alt="Smile" title="Smile" />&nbsp;Just hope that we do not have to wait too flaming long.</font></strong></p><p><font size="2" color="#000000"><strong>NASA / JPL story below.</strong></font></p><p><strong><font size="2" color="#000080">http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=1691</font></strong></p><p><strong><font size="2" color="#000000">Andrew Brown.</font></strong></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[Philotas]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Thought this was worthy enough for its own thread.&nbsp;SAR images not released as yet, but its worth keeping an eye out.&nbsp;I will post / link to them unless someone else does first.Looks like there may be some cryovolcanic goodies in store. &nbsp;Just hope that we do not have to wait too flaming long.NASA / JPL story below.http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=1691Andrew Brown. <br />Posted by 3488</DIV><br /><br />Supposedly they SAR'ed Hotei Arcus at previous flyby also? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[h2ouniverse]

<p>hi Andrew</p><p>&nbsp;would make another case for TSSM rather than EJSM.</p><p>Most people fail to realize that to be exciting, a mission to Europa has to include a lander that lands precisely where a recent upsurge of water occured. This is not at all in the objectives of the Europa Mission considered by NASA/ESA, which has no astrobiological payload. (the astrobiologists have given up when they realized there would be no surface element in the mission; their only last hope is for a Russian Lander but this one is extrmely putative at that stage)</p><p>On the opposite, the Titan mission considered includes a balloon, to circulate in the equatorial region (TBC), that would include Hotei Arcus, hence the capability to sample the potenial plume of an active cryovolcano. The big remaining "if" is the current activity of the potential cryovolcanoes. But there, the astrobiological sample from the subsurface ocean is coming to you, and you do not have to drill tens of kilometers of ice.</p><p>&nbsp;Best regards.</p>

 

[centsworth_II]

<p><font color="#666699"><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>...Most people fail to realize that to be exciting, a mission to Europa has to include a lander that lands precisely where a recent upsurge of water occured.... Posted by h2ouniverse</DIV></font></p><p> You have GOT to be kidding!</p><p>It certainly would be great to investigate such an area, but there is PLENTY more to learn about Titan no matter where one looks. I would definitely not limit my definition of a exciting Titan mission to your criteria.&nbsp; Besides, my idea of an exiting mission is one that includes a balloon that can investigate a variety of Titan geography. </p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Philotas]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Supposedly they SAR'ed Hotei Arcus at previous flyby also? <br />Posted by Philotas</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;From http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/events/titan20080222/index.cfm&nbsp;(flyby page for the February 22 flyby)</p><p><em>&nbsp;</em><font size="2"><em>This area was previously viewed with radar but with lower resolution. Having radar data of this area from two flybys may provide valuable information about its topography. <strong>Radar also imaged Hotei Arcus</strong>, which appears as a bright spot to Cassini's infrared cameras. Having radar coverage over this region might shed light on this mysterious spot.</em> </font></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[baulten]

A Titan mission would be best suited with a balloon or aircraft equipped with multiple "small" probes, in my opinion.&nbsp; I think it'd be better than a rover; it can cover much more area.

 

[h2ouniverse]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'> You have GOT to be kidding!It certainly would be great to investigate such an area, but there is PLENTY more to learn about Titan no matter where one looks. I would definitely not limit my definition of a exciting Titan mission to your criteria.&nbsp; Besides, my idea of an exiting mission is one that includes a balloon that can investigate a variety of Titan geography. &nbsp; <br />Posted by centsworth_II</DIV><br /><br />hi cent</p><p>The point is that we have to choose between Europa and Titan, despite the fact that both are exciting and interesting per se. Unfortunately, we have to compare the merits. Astrogeology is great to me as well but cannot compare with the Quest for Life (note the upper case). Especially when it comes to 2.1 bn dollars on your side of the atlantic PLUS more than 1 bn euros on ours from taxpayers. And although the astrobiological potential of Europa is probably larger than titan's (in terms of extant life!), at least on Titan you can hope to get some water ice from the subshelf water-ammonia ocean. Thanks to the cryovolcanism. Granted, a Titan mission also provides for an understanding of pre-biotic chemistry (limited to few carbon atoms in the chain for Cassini-Huygens, far less limited for TSSM). But the top criterion is LifeQuest...</p><p>Let's hpe TSSM will occur, with a balloon plus at least one mini-probe into a polar lake&nbsp;Best regards. Small elements like microplanes or robotic dragonflies are considered to shuttle between the balloon and the ground, but the TRL is low and IA might be needed. I am not very optimistic on such microelements to be included...</p><p>&nbsp;Regards.</p>

 

[Philotas]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Supposedly they SAR'ed Hotei Arcus at previous flyby also? <br />Posted by Philotas</DIV><br /><br />And still no images released from either? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>