Look out, Titan. Plutonium robots from Earth are on their way

NASA plans to terrorise the skies with a plutonium-powered drone. Thankfully not those above Gatwick, but the dense haze surrounding the Saturn moon Titan. Space boffins at NASA have been pondering where to send the robots next as part of its New Frontiers programme, with ambitious sample return missions also on the cards. The …

[jmch]

Construction material?

It's got to be Titanium, right?

NASA, make it happen!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Construction material?

Not likely: titanium is rather reactive, and the sea of liquid methane with contaminants that Titan has might prove a bit much for it. Maybe stainless steel?

[Danny Boyd]

Re: Construction material?

Titanium is much more rust-resistant than stainless steel, just ask any diver.

[STOP_FORTH]

You can't fool us, Earth scum

Think you're being clever, using Earth years do you? We'll be ready.

[Captain Scarlet]

Re: You can't fool us, Earth scum

Oi Mysterons stop invading planets!

[STOP_FORTH]

Re: You can't fool us, Earth scum

Your microphone is old hat and your car goes backwards you silly Earth person.

[Captain Scarlet]

Re: You can't fool us, Earth scum

Thats it, I am confiscating your Green Torch for 2 weeks.

[STOP_FORTH]

Re: You can't fool us, Earth scum

Captain Black is behind you with a pair of scissors, string-boy!

[Captain Scarlet]

Re: You can't fool us, Earth scum

Oh one of those scenes.

*Cut to a close up of someones actual hand with a pair of Scissors*

[STOP_FORTH]

Re: You can't fool us, Earth scum

:-)

Now walk through a doorway!

[AceRimmer1980]

Re: You can't fool us, Earth scum

or a Stargate

[PerlyKing]

Flight of the Dragonfly

Pity it's not a nuclear-powered glider, but we can't have everything ;-)

[phuzz]

Re: Flight of the Dragonfly

'Nuclear-powered Octo-copter' is still pretty damn cool.

[aks]

Re: Flight of the Dragonfly

I want one! Where can I buy it?

[Geoff May (no relation)]

Re: Flight of the Dragonfly

Why can't I up-vote more than once?

[Tom 7]

Re: Flight of the Dragonfly

But, Shirley, a powered glider is an aeroplane*.

*Replace aero for whatever the methane equivalent is. Farto?

[Wilseus]

Re: Flight of the Dragonfly

"Replace aero for whatever the methane equivalent is. Farto?"

Titan's lakes are composed largely of methane, but its actual atmosphere is mostly nitrogen, much like ours. Either way, it's still "air" I guess.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Flight of the Dragonfly

I am wondering why is such a dense atmosphere with low gravity it needs 8 rotors. Redundancy perhaps?

[Antonius_Prime]

Dave?

ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA.

ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE.

Just sayin'...

(I know, Europa is a moon of Jupiter, but still...)

[Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?]

Re: Dave?

ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA.

ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE.

Look, the UK has spent three years trying to figure out just what Brexit means and then implement it. We can't even think about going anywhere even loosely related to Europe until then. If we announced a mission to Europa, 51.9% of the UK would not stop ranting about it

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Dave?

" 51.9% of the UK would not stop ranting about it"

ITYM 48.1% would spend every waking minute until the launch wailing and shrieking about how the rocket shouldn't leave because their tea leaves and ouija boards are telling them the mission will end in disaster.

[Ken Moorhouse]

Re: their tea leaves and ouija boards are telling them the mission will end in disaster.

You are aware that it is being organised by Chris Grayling?

[DJO]

Chrono-synclastic infundibulum

Oh good a drone, something for Kazak to chase, the harmoniums are just too slow.

Best Regards to all on Earth

Winston Niles Rumfoord

[A.P. Veening]

Re: Chrono-synclastic infundibulum

Not many references to Kurt Vonnegut here, have a

[0laf]

Lots of moving parts on an octo drone. I thought they were going for a balloon.

Hey ho I'm not a NASA engineer so I have to assume it's all been though out.

I hope they remember to register for their drone pilot licence.

[Potemkine!]

to cover an area of almost two hundred kilometres

to cover a distance of almost two hundred kilometres or to cover an area of almost two hundred square-kilometres?

[BristolBachelor]

Probably ≈200km * 0.0037 assuming a straightish line. As an engineering approximation, lets call it 0.74km², or 0.036 microWales

[RobThBay]

Draganfly....

I used to own one of these... way back in 2010.

http://www.draganfly.com

[Zog_but_not_the_first]

But fifteen years....

Feeling like the chap referenced in Bowie's "Life on Mars". See pic.

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope there's no one home

After all, how would you feel if someone started dropping lumps of plutonium on your land?

Reminds me - isn't there a shortage of the plutonium needed for RTGs?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I hope there's no one home

No problem, Just get it from Iran. 8-)

[Danny Boyd]

From a conversation of Somewhat Drunk Janitor and a Little Green Man:

SDJ: "Is there life on Mars?"

LGM: "Frankly, none either."

[Anonymous Coward]

Dragonfly?

Instantly reminds me of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiUWAOL_uH8

Sybil: If I find out the money on that horse was yours, you know what I'll do, Basil.

Basil: You' ll have to sew 'em back on first!

[Snerdguy]

Titans need not worry.

While fifteen years may not seem like a long time in science, in politics it's enough time for another administration to redirect the funding. Just as the whole 'return to the Moon' fiasco is the Republican party's means of funneling government contracts and money to their big campaign contributors, the aerospace companies, that could all change if they fall out of control. If the Democrats take over, that money may end up going toward building roads or other infrastructure. So, it's best to say 'maybe' NASA will send a drone to Titan.

Have they accomplished anything toward building this drone besides an idea on a piece of scrap paper? Where are they even getting a plutonium core as it's a product of atomic bomb manufacturing which hasn't been done in decades? I thought the stuff was pretty scarce,

[Ken Moorhouse]

NASA just announced that we are going to Titan!!

That's what it sounded like, but when written, it said...

NASA just announced that we are going to tighten...