GLOBAL AEROSPACE CORPORATION — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: S3.06

Description

Your mission is to explore the atmosphere and surface of Saturn's moon, Titan, a cold, harsh environment that poses many technical challenges for any potential exploration platform. Imagine an inflatable, flying wing-glider that could enter Titan?s atmosphere from orbit, execute controlled movements in atmospheric flight, and descend to the surface for scientific measurement or payload delivery. The Titan-Buoyant Atmospheric Glider (T-BAG) system is a hybrid entry vehicle, balloon, and maneuverable glider with 3-D directional control that could satisfy all of these objectives while operating on the minimal power available from a Radioisotope Power Source (RPS). T-BAG's unique buoyancy control system is at the heart of the proposed innovation, enabling both ascending and descending glide without propulsion systems or control surfaces. Potential T-BAG mission applications include long-lived flight at low altitudes with revisit capability, high resolution surface imaging, in-situ measurements of precipitation, fog, volcanism, etc., and controlled, targeted delivery of landers to the surface.