

NASA announces nuclear robotic submarine to explore Titan’s ocean - lettergram
http://perfscience.com/content/2141256-nasa-announces-nuclear-robotic-submarine-explore-titan%E2%80%99s-ocean

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jordanpg
I sure hope the idea of Jupiter and Saturn moon missions captures the public's
eye and become economically feasible in my lifetime. In the spectrum of space
missions that might actually happen someday, they have the most manageable
timeline for a single generation and are easily the most exciting. I'm much
more interested in reading about an analysis of a Europan water sample than
than about a human setting foot on Mars.

The problems associated with operating a submersible are formidable, even in
the best cases here on Earth. Coupling this engineering problem with the one
of sending a spacecraft to safely Saturn seems a daunting but noble task to
me!

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IndianAstronaut
It is economically feasible. It requires a budget addition of a few hundred
million dollars to NASA. Not much in the scope of things. To push for this I
recommend visiting
[http://www.planetary.org/sos](http://www.planetary.org/sos) and advocate for
it

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mojoe
Here's the 46th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference PDF source:

[http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2015/pdf/1259.pdf](http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2015/pdf/1259.pdf)

And here is a video NASA released regarding the subject:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnKxbdpLP5E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnKxbdpLP5E)

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orik
I'm more concerened with a rocket launch failing spectacularly when the
payload includes a nuclear reactor.

Has anything like this been attempted before?

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pavel_lishin
RTGs[1] have, but apparently SRGs[2] haven't. I can't see any reason for this
to be any more dangerous than the other nuclear stuff we've launched into
space.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_ge...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator#Space)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_radioisotope_generato...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_radioisotope_generator)

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thomasfl
As the only planet on the solar system with stable bodies liquid and
atmosphere, this is got to be the ultimate frontier in exploration.

