Colonization of Titan

Lore & Background

According to Cassini data from 2008, Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth. These hydrocarbons rain from the sky and collect in vast deposits that form lakes and dunes. Ralph Lorenz, who leads the study of Titan based on radar data from Cassini, stated, 'Titan is just covered in carbon-bearing material—it's a Mega factory of organic chemicals.' Several hundred lakes and seas have been observed, with several dozen estimated to contain more hydrocarbon liquid than Earth's oil and gas reserves. The dark dunes that run along the equator contain a volume of organics several hundred times larger than Earth's coal reserves. Radar images obtained on July 21, 2006, appear to show lakes of liquid hydrocarbon (such as methane and ethane) in Titan's northern latitudes, the first discovery of currently existing lakes beyond Earth. On March 13, 2007, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced strong evidence of seas of methane and ethane in the northern hemisphere, at least one larger than any of the Great Lakes in North America. The American aerospace engineer and author Robert Zubrin identified Titan as the most important moon on which to establish a base to develop the resources of the Saturn system.

Reader's Guide

The significance of colonizing Titan lies in its abundant resources and potential for human habitation. Robert Zubrin has pointed out that Titan possesses an abundance of all the elements necessary to support life, stating, 'In certain ways, Titan is the most hospitable extraterrestrial world within our solar system for human colonization.' The atmosphere contains plentiful nitrogen and methane, and strong evidence indicates liquid methane on the surface, as well as liquid water and ammonia under the surface delivered by volcanic activity. This water can be used to generate breathable oxygen, and more is blown into Titan's atmosphere from geysers on Enceladus. Nitrogen is ideal for buffer gas in breathable air, and nitrogen, methane, and ammonia can produce fertilizer for growing food.

Energy resources include chemical, nuclear, wind, and hydropower (using methane instead of water). Electrical power could be produced using chemical power plants adding hydrogen to acetylene, or turbines in large methane seas where Saturn's tidal pull causes up to a meter of tidal change each Titan day. The high ratio of atmospheric density to surface gravity greatly reduces the wingspan needed for an aircraft to maintain lift, so much so that a human could strap on wings and fly while wearing a spacesuit. However, protection against extreme cold is a major consideration, and heating any flight-bound vehicle becomes a key obstacle. Long-term effects of low gravity (0.138 g) on human health, such as loss of bone density and weakened immune system, are a significant issue, though effective countermeasures like daily exercise are well-established.

Did You Know?

• Radar images from July 21, 2006, showed the first discovery of currently existing lakes beyond Earth.
• At least one sea in Titan's northern hemisphere is larger than any of the Great Lakes in North America.
• A human could strap on wings and fly through Titan's atmosphere while wearing a spacesuit.