Open AccessSelection and Characteristics of the Dragonfly Landing Site near Selk Crater, Titan
Author(s) -
Ralph D. Lorenz,
Shan MacKenzie,
C. D. Neish,
Alice Le Gall,
E. P. Turtle,
Jason W. Barnes,
M. G. Trainer,
A. Werynski,
J. E. Hedgepeth,
Erich Karkoschka
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the planetary science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2632-3338
DOI - 10.3847/psj/abd08f
Subject(s) - impact crater , titan (rocket family) , astrobiology , geology , radar , remote sensing , environmental science , earth science , aerospace engineering , physics , engineering
The factors contributing to the initial selection of a dune site near the Selk impact structure on Titan as the first landing site for the Dragonfly mission are described. These include arrival geometry and aerodynamic/aerothermodynamic considerations, illumination, and Earth visibility, as well as the likely presence of exposed deposits of water-rich material, potentially including materials where molten ice has interacted with organics. Cassini observations of Selk are summarized and interpreted: near-infrared reflectance and microwave emission data indicate water-rich materials in and around the crater. Radar topography data shows the rim of Selk to have slopes on multi-km scales reaching only ∼2° degrees, an order of magnitude shallower than early photoclinometric estimates.