Titan

Scientists are interested in learning more about one of Saturn's moons, Titan. Titan is the only moon in the solar system that has a substantial atmosphere. For that reason, it is possible that Titan might have supported life at one time, or that it might be able to support life at some point in the future.

Astronomers don't know what the surface of Titan is made of, so they need a closer look. They do know that Titan looks red, and that the red tint is due to Titan's thick cloud cover. What is underneath remains a mystery. Titan's atmosphere is made up mostly of nitrogen gas, with some methane and some argon gases as well.

Some of the questions that the scientists studying Titan have yet to answer are:

• Does Titan have liquids on its surface?
• Is the interior of Titan still molten (hot)?
• Why does Titan have a dense atmosphere when other moons don't?
• Do the dark spots observed on Titan indicate an ocean?
• Do the clouds cause rain on Titan?

Can you design a satellite that will find some of the answers to these questions? Think about what your satellite must do, what it must look at, and what kind of data it must collect. All of these factors will help you to design a satellite that will help solve the problem described.

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Once you've decided how your satellite is going to solve this problem, write a description of what your satellite will do in your notebook. When you're finished, click on "continue".
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