NASA Studying Interstellar Submarine That Could Explore The Oceans Of Saturn's Moon Titan

Earth's oceans hold vast mysteries and unfamiliar forms of life. Diving deep into the sea reveals a whole ecosystem thriving in extreme conditions. There's only one other place in the solar system with surface seas and they are found on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The vast seas and lakes could be explored one day using an interstellar submarine. NASA is funding research on the Titan sub as part of Phase II of its Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) awards program.

Titan is one of the most fascinating objects in the solar system. While Jupiter's moon Europa -- with its subsurface oceans -- gets all the attention as the place that could most likely harbor life, Titan's seas and lakes are fascinating in their own right. Instead of liquid water, the seas are filled with hydrocarbons -- methane and ethane -- and could hold their own secrets much like Earth's oceans. Kraken Mare is the largest sea on Titan and has a diameter of 1,170 kilometers (727 miles) and possible depths of 300 meters (984 feet). Waves may have been detected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft and there are some mysterious surface features that appeared in photos from 2014 -- similar to the "magic islands" of Ligeia Mare. It is believed these surface features could be waves or suspended debris.

"The mission concept we propose to study will investigate a full spectrum of oceanographic phenomena: chemical composition of the liquid, surface and subsurface currents, mixing and layering in the 'water' column, tides, wind and waves, bathymetry, and bottom features and composition, " Steven Oleson, principal investigator of the Titan submarine from NASA's Glenn Research Center, explained.

While the idea of a Titan submarine exploring the depths of Kraken Mare sounds appealing, it may be a long time before it launches. The Phase II awards provide up to $500,000 and a two-year of study of the project's design and technology. It could be up to a decade before we see a working Titan sub, according to NASA. The Titan sub was one of seven projects that will be funded by NASA for study.

One NIAC project focuses on a swarm of miniature probes that could be launched from a spacecraft. These small probes would be a cost-effective way to map gravitational fields and study asteroids and comets. Another concept would help astronomers explore lunar caves. The TransFormer concept would provide light and a source of energy to extreme environments that would allow rovers to conduct research in deep craters.