Because Titan is less massive than Earth, its gravity doesn't hold onto its gaseous envelope as tightly, so the atmosphere extends to an altitude 10 times higher than Earth's—nearly 370 miles (600 kilometers) into space.

Jan 9, 2025 · Cassini's numerous gravity measurements of Titan revealed that this moon is hiding an internal, liquid water and ammonia ocean beneath its surface. Huygens also measured radio signals during its descent that strongly suggested the presence of an ocean 35 to 50 miles (55 to 80 kilometers) below the moon's surface.

Apr 27, 2010 · Titan: the Moon that would be a planet Carbon cycle, geology, and dynamics Christophe Sotin, Jet propulsion Laboratory • Introduction: Titan compared to moons and planets • Observations by the Cassini/Huygens mission • Description of the Carbon cycle • Surface morphology & geological implications • Interior structure & internal dynamics

Mar 10, 2010 · By precisely tracking NASA's Cassini spacecraft on its low swoops over Saturn's moon Titan, scientists have determined the distribution of materials in the moon's interior. The subtle gravitational tugs they measured suggest the interior has been too cold and sluggish to split completely into separate layers of ice and rock.

Sep 14, 2022 · Dragonfly is a NASA mission to explore the chemistry and habitability of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Dragonfly will send an autonomously operated rotorcraft to visit dozens of sites on Titan, investigating the moon’s surface and shallow subsurface for organic molecules and possible biosignatures.

Jan 9, 2025 · Building on the techniques used by the Galileo mission to Jupiter, Cassini mission planners designed flybys of the moon Titan to utilize the moon’s gravity to navigate around the Saturn system and maximize the science return of the mission.

When Cassini passed relatively close to Titan, the moon’s gravitational influence grabbed the spacecraft tightly and swung it around in a sharp turn. If Cassini performed a higher-altitude flyby, Titan’s grip was looser and the spacecraft’s trajectory was altered less.

A final close flyby of the moon Titan on April 22 used the moon's gravity to reshape Cassini's trajectory so that the spacecraft leapt over the planet's icy rings to pass between the rings and Saturn.

May 20, 2013 · Scientists think that as the seasons change in Titan's northern hemisphere, waves could ripple across the moon's hydrocarbon seas, and hurricanes could begin to swirl over these areas, too. The model predicting waves tries to explain data from the moon obtained so far by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

Jan 9, 2025 · NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system.