Â鶹´«Ã½

Flying robots could explore caves on Saturn¡¯s largest moon

graphic of Saturn
Reading time: 2 minutes
graphic of Saturn
NASA‘s Cassini studied Titan, Saturn¡¯s largest moon. (Photo credit: NASA)

A University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Mānoa researcher is developing a new kind of flying robot that could one day explore caves on Saturn¡¯s largest moon.

graphic of the robot project on Titan
Top: Tens of thousands of potential subsurface access points have been identified on Titan using topographic data from the Cassini mission. Bottom: SPARK aerobots, deployed from a larger lander, would enter the caves of Titan and perform valuable scientific investigations. They use distributed atmospheric ion thrusters which leverage the beneficial atmosphere of Titan for highly efficient and maneuverable flight.

Assistant Professor Daniel Drew from UH Mānoa¡¯s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has received a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I award to study the idea. His project is one of 18 innovative concepts selected by NASA for early stage research. The project, called SPARK (Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst), envisions small, roughly 3-foot-wide flying robots that could enter caves and other difficult-to-reach areas on Titan.

Titan is one of the most intriguing places in the solar system. It has a thick atmosphere, a landscape shaped by methane and other chemicals, and features that may include caves and underground formations. Exploring those areas could give scientists new clues about Titan¡¯s geology and climate history.

Moving without moving parts

person headshot
Assistant Professor Daniel Drew

The SPARK robots would be designed to float and maneuver through Titan¡¯s atmosphere without traditional propellers. Instead, they would use electric fields and charged particles to create thrust. The propulsion system has no moving parts and could allow the robots to move in different directions with very little disturbance to their surroundings. Conditions on Titan are uniquely beneficial for this type of propulsion; preliminary calculations show that it could drastically outperform alternatives. Unlike conventional ion thrusters, it does not require carrying propellant gas onboard, as the air itself is ionized during operation.

“If we can make this technology work, it could open up an entirely new way to explore places on Titan that are too difficult or risky for a larger spacecraft,” Drew said. “It¡¯s exciting to see our university and our state contributing to the future of space exploration and showing that important ideas for exploring other worlds can come from right here in Â鶹´«Ã½.”

Next steps

The $175,000 award will support a nine-month initial investigation. Drew¡¯s team will test the propulsion system under conditions similar to Titan¡¯s atmosphere, study the robot¡¯s potential performance, and explore the overall system design. The project is being conducted in partnership with researchers at NASA¡¯s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Blue Marble Space.

Related Posts:

Back To Top