This innovative research effort is directed at determining, quantitatively, the convective heat transfer coefficients applicable to a Montgolfiere balloon operating in an atmosphere simulating that of Titan. It is anticipated that a platform such as this will provide the mobility desired to explore that part of the solar system. Utilizing only the waste heat available from an on board power source, it should be possible to circumnavigate Saturn's largest moon. Accurate knowledge of free convection is essential for predicting the performance and mitigating the risk for such a mission. In order to simulate a volume of gas large enough to inflate a model balloon at 77K, vacuum insulation panels will be used to minimize the thermal losses. At the conclusion of this Phase I effort, a final report will establish the feasibility of this approach and describe the future applications of this technology.
