Important Innovations Collection

New Science from NASA - Possibility of Life on Titan, Saturn's Largest Moon Source:   NASA Jet Propulsion Lab Moonscapes, Science and Life NASA scientists have mapped Saturn's exotic, largest Moon Titan.  Apparently, Titan has quite a story to tell about the possibilities of life.  NASA has unveiled the first global geological map of Titan.  It shows a strange and exotic world that NASA scientists say is a strong candidate for the search for life beyond Earth. Incredibly Interesting Terrain The map shows dunes of frozen organic material, vast stretches of plains, and lakes and seas filled with liquid methane...all of which may harbor forms of life beyond Earth.  The map is based on radar, infrared and data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft that studied Saturn and its moons from 2004 to 2017.  The data and images now emerging are fascinating. What's Next Clearly, Titan contains organic material that is the ingredient critical to form life.  ...

Saturn with an Unforgiving Environment Source:  MIT Discovery Just Unveiled NASA scientists have discovered that Saturn's mysterious atmosphere is raining diamonds down on the planet.  This discovery is extraordinary and yet another example of the vast mineral deposits in space that commercial space ventures are targeting. Saturn Rings While studying how and when Saturn's rings of ice and dust emerged, the NASA scientists stumbled upon a surprising feature of Saturn's atmosphere.  The atmosphere is composed of high amounts of sulfur, along with hydrogen and helium.  The atmosphere is extremely harsh and unforgiving. So much so it rains diamonds onto the planet.  NASA's Cassini probe made the shocking discovery when taking a closer look at Saturn's weather in 2013.  The discovery was just released this summer in a BBC documentary. From Soot to Diamonds Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System.  Ac...

Dragonfly Rotorcraft-Lander Goes to Saturn's Largest Moon - Titan Source:  NASA's Dragonfly Artist Rendering NASA Searching for Life and the Origins of Life on Earth NASA has just announced plans to launch its Dragonfly Mission in 2025.  It's an audacious plan to land the Dragonfly rotorcraft lander on Titan, which is Saturn's largest moon.  It's the only moon in the solar system that has an atmosphere.  According to NASA, Titan is most comparable to early Earth and, most importantly, it has the ingredients to support life.  This is NASA's next mission to a new destination.  It will also mark the first time that a multi-rotor vehicle is deployed on another planet. Source:  NASA - Titan Mission Out of This World Dragonfly has the capacity to fly 100 miles through Titan's thick and cold atmosphere. It will make trips on a daily basis to a number of test sites.  The terrain is diverse and includes oceans, rivers, dunes, lakes and...