Titan Winged Aerobot Hybrid Glider Could Explore Saturn's Moon

Jul-09-16
The innovative Titan Winged Aerobot hybrid balloon glider could one day help scientists get a closer look at Titan.

Saturn’s moon, Titan, has a cold, harsh environment that makes lighter than air exploration platforms difficult to use. To overcome such challenges, the team created the Titan Winged Aerobot (TWA) concept, which features a unique buoyancy system that allows the device to enter the atmosphere gently before switching into flight mode. The TWA would also be able to rise and fall in the skies without a propulsion system, swooping low enough to the surface to capture images and radar-based data.

Currently, the project is being conducted by the Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) and Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS) teams to create a proof-of-concept prototype for Earth-based testing.