The Titan Sky Simulator Test Facility

(Abstract) New discoveries about Saturn and its moons are flooding in from the Cassini spacecraft. Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is emerging as a fascinating destination worthy of future exploration. But, covered by cloud, little can be seen from orbit. Surface Rovers are probably not practical and can only cover small distances. However Titan is by orders of magnitude the Solar System's best location for balloons, which could potentially fly for long periods, covering great distances. But some most fundamental data for balloon design is not available, particular estimates of convective heat transfer between balloons and Titan's atmosphere. The Titan Sky Simulator™ Test Facility is in the process of providing this data, simultaneously giving qualitative insight into operating balloons in Titan-like conditions.