Science goals and mission concepts for a future orbital and in situ exploration of Titan
arXiv:1908.01374
The paper outlines key unanswered scientific questions about Titan—from its exosphere to its deep interior—and proposes mission concepts, including an ESA L‑class orbiter and in‑situ platforms such as lake landers or drones, to address them.
Abstract
In this white paper, we present a cross-section of important scientific questions that remain partially or completely unanswered, ranging from Titan exosphere to the deep interior, and we detail which instrumentation and mission scenarios should be used to answer them. Our intention is to formulate the science goals for the next generation of planetary missions to Titan in order to prepare the future exploration of the moon. The ESA L-class mission concept that we propose is composed of a Titan orbiter and at least an in situ element (lake lander and/or drone(s)).
White Paper submission to the call for ESA Voyage 2050 long-term plan