XPost: sci.space.policy, sci.astro   
   From: george@briar.demon.co.uk   
      
   "Joann Evans"  wrote in message   
   news:41EDAE53.BAECA46C@frontiernet.net...   
   > George William Herbert wrote:   
   >>   
   >> dexx  wrote:   
   >> >Is it true that Huygens ceased transmission less than 2 hours after   
   >> >touchdown? Whilst it was a magnificent achievement to travel so far and   
   >> >land perfectly, it seems a great shame that the probe was so short   
   >> >lived.  I'm suprised the designers didnt make it rugged enough and   
   >> >powered enough to survive several days.   
   >>   
   >> A lot of people have responded already, but I haven't seen the single   
   >> most critical point made yet.   
   >>   
   >> There was no certainty as to what type of surface lay under the   
   >> clouds.  We knew there were light and dark areas, what the temperature   
   >> and pressure probably were.  But we didn't know if it was liquid or   
   >> solid, how much topology was there, whether it was smooth or rough   
   >> with rocks or ice boulders, etc.   
   >   
   >   
   >   And even with what we know now, those problems don't go away for the   
   > next probe, either. Indeed, we can see we were somewhat lucky. Huygens   
   > might've floated, but solid ground was preferable, and we got it.   
      
   It was definitely good fortune not only to land on   
   firm ground but also to drift over what appears to   
   be the edge of an ocean and a variety of terrains.   
      
   > If we   
   > want to land, say, a long-duration rover next time, one *must* then be   
   > certain of not landing in a body of liquid methane...not a sea/lake, not   
   > even one of those channels...   
      
   There I beg to differ. If the surface is slush-like   
   or tarry, a the usual wheeled rover isn't going to   
   make much progress and the liquid areas may have some   
   of the more interesting chemistry. In several of the   
   areas, the terrain looks like marsh with many channels   
   and small lakes. It will be a real challenge, but IMHO   
   what is called for is something amphibious, perhaps   
   even a hovercraft or a balloon. After all, since there   
   is an atmosphere, let's make use of it.   
      
   Titan poses very different challenges to Mars or the   
   Moon and it's going to be quite a few years before we   
   go there again.   
      
   George   
      
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