Summer on Triton – Ballooning Season

ScienceShot: Summer on Triton – ScienceNOW.

Triton’s troposphere is a COLD mix of nitrogen and methane, currently at a pressure of roughly 40-65 microbars (4-6.5 Pa @ 38 K, near surface.) Interestingly JP Aerospace claims an ultra-high altitude airship can get to ~200 kilo-feet. At that height the pressure is a mere 17.76 Pa and the temperature is 242.7 K (computed via the International Standard Atmosphere Calculator.) Think about it. Density varies inversely with temperature, so a gas at 38 K is 6.5 times denser than it is at 242 K – thus that 6.5 Pa @ 38 K is the equivalent of 42 Pa at 242 K. The air on Triton is denser than the air JP Aerospace thinks they can fly an airship in.

RTGs are the main-way Deep Space probes are powered and warmed. Electricity is only generated at a pitiful efficiency of ~5% or so, the rest radiated as heat – perfect to form a hot-air balloon in an atmosphere like that of Triton. Works even better on Titan and forms the basis of a current mission proposal – but I think what’s good for Titan is better for Triton. Lower gravity, colder atmosphere and Triton is as geologically weird and diverse as Titan. Perfect!