The Advanced Concepts Initiative (NAIC) program of the NASA has a new system for returning samples to the land- uses those resources at the destination as a motivation for return.
Applied to the specific scenario of the Saturn’s moon Titanthis proposal makes use of volatile propellants available in situ on the surface. The idea is to provide a system for returning the samples obtained by the mission to Earth. Dragonfly, a flying artifact expected to be shipped in 2027 to reach Titan in 2036 with the goal of exploring Titan.
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Titan’s approach is vastly different from all conventional concepts of resource use in situ, and will provide a very scientifically valuable return to planetary science, astrobiology and understanding the origins of life, which is an order of magnitude more difficult. than the return of other samples. missions, explains in a statement Steven Oleson of NASA’s Glenn Research Center, to argue this mission.
Typically, missions to distant celestial objects must bring enough propellant for the return trip (which means a lot of extra mass and higher costs) or have a nuclear battery that can provide power for several years.
As can be seen in the image, the new approach would consist of a lander and take-off vehicle. Once they landed on Titan’s surface, they were able to aid the Dragonfly mission by receiving samples collected by the quadcopter.
Using locally collected resources, the lander can provide liquid methane and liquid oxygen fuel (made from local ice) for the vehicle taking off. This vehicle would then be loaded with samples collected by Dragonfly and then returned to Earth.
By not bringing its own propellant, the mission’s sample return element would have a lower total mass and therefore cost less to launch.