swimming on Titan

[Gian]

The atmospheric density as well as pressure at the surface of Titan is like being in about 15-20 feet of water here on Earth and surface gravity about 0.1G. If so, does anyone know if it would be possible with flippers and the right equipment to 'swim' through the atmosphere at the surface of Titan? ta

 

[Janus]

The surface gravity doesn't factor in.  You may weigh only 1/10 as much as you do on Earth, but so does the atmosphere. to be buoyant, you would have to displace a mass of atmosphere at least equal to your own mass.   The pressure is ~60% greater than that on the Earth.  Titan's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen, like our own. Our atmosphere has a density of ~1.25 g/liter at sea level.  A 60% increase of pressure would equal a 60% increase in density to ~2 g/ liter.  The human body is has roughly the same density as water at 1000g/liter.  So a space-suited individual on Titan would not come even close to displacing an mass of Titan's atmosphere equal to his weight, and would not be buoyant by any significant amount.

[Airbrush]

But if you have a winged suit on Titan you may be able to run leap and glide for some distance through the dense Titan atmosphere?  Or leap off a mountain and glide a long distance.

Edited May 6, 2018 by Airbrush

[John Cuthber]

As far as I can tell, the "sea" on Titan is largely methane and that's probably not dense enough to swim in either.

And it would be cold.

It would still be an interesting place for a holiday.

[Janus]

1 hour ago, John Cuthber said:

As far as I can tell, the "sea" on Titan is largely methane and that's probably not dense enough to swim in either.

And it would be cold.

It would still be an interesting place for a holiday.

422.64 g/l  for liquid methane,  so ~ 42% that of water.

[StringJunky]

12 minutes ago, Janus said:

422.64 g/l  for liquid methane,  so ~ 42% that of water.

Would we have to replace our fluid with methane to float the same as we do in water?

[Janus]

1 hour ago, Airbrush said:

But if you have a winged suit on Titan you may be able to run leap and glide for some distance through the dense Titan atmosphere?  Or leap off a mountain and glide a long distance.

 

2 hours ago, Airbrush said:

But if you have a winged suit on Titan you may be able to run leap and glide for some distance through the dense Titan atmosphere?  Or leap off a mountain and glide a long distance.

Lift increases directly with air density and surface area of the lift surface. You need 1/10 the lift,  and are getting 60% more lift due to air pressure,  so, you'd need ~ 0.065 the surface area.

If a typical hang glider has a surface area of ~170 ft^2, you'd need ~ 11 sq ft for the same lift.   However,  greater air density also means greater drag and lift  also relies on air velocity squared, so you'd need a steeper descent angle to maintain airspeed and lift.  This, in turn, would reduce your glide distance. 

[Velocity_Boy]

On 5/3/2018 at 3:41 PM, Gian said:

The atmospheric density as well as pressure at the surface of Titan is like being in about 15-20 feet of water here on Earth and surface gravity about 0.1G. If so, does anyone know if it would be possible with flippers and the right equipment to 'swim' through the atmosphere at the surface of Titan? ta

 

Your post conjures up a cool imaginative scenario. And I love your title...it sounds like a Phillip K Dick or Kurt Vonnegut novel. LOL or a neat rock band name.

As for the actual logistics of doing such a swim on this Saturnian moon...ya gotta remember it'd be a chilly one, with an ambient temp of a brisk -300 degrees F.

Brrr!

On 5/3/2018 at 3:41 PM, Gian said:

The atmospheric density as well as pressure at the surface of Titan is like being in about 15-20 feet of water here on Earth and surface gravity about 0.1G. If so, does anyone know if it would be possible with flippers and the right equipment to 'swim' through the atmosphere at the surface of Titan? ta

 

Your lost conjures up a cool imaginative scenario. And I love your title...it sounds like a Phillip K Dick or Kurt Vonnegut novel. LOL or a neat rock band name.

As for the actual logistics of doing such a swim on this Jovian moon...ya gotta remember it'd be a chilly one, with an ambient temp of a brisk -300 degrees F.

Brrr!

 

Oh...a quick addendum...fwiw I predict that we will one day discover Titans seas to be the only place in our solar system that harbors..pardon the pun...life more complex than the single celled microbial level..which is all but assuredly indigenous to Mars ice sheets. VB

Edited May 6, 2018 by Velocity_Boy

[Gian]

Thanks Janus et al for all the above replies, ah well if I ever get to Titan I'll take my flippers and snorkel anyway.

Yep, Velocity Boy, 'Swimming on Titan' would make a great movie even if it's impossible! Dunno about finding Life, but it would be great if we did.

(1) I guess there's wind and tidal forces on Titan so maybe we can walk along the beach of one of the methane seas with methane washing up and down.

(2) If liquid methane has less than half the density of water, would it still be possible to have powered craft which could float on the surface?

(3) Thanks Janus and Airbrush for the hang-gliding idea. Or maybe even a nanolight powered by methane?

(4) Presumably with all the methane about, power won't be a problem. When explorers get to Titan I guess temperature suits would have to be powered (unless NASA has an insulation fabric which could withstand −179 °C?)

(5) As the atmosphere is mostly nitrogen, presumably explorers would only have to take oxygen with them and have a mechanism for mixing it to make breathable air?

(6) And given that there's water on Titan, would it be possible to mechanically extract enough oxygen to add to the nitrogen to make breathable air? altho I guess it would take a helluva lot of water....

cheers

GIAN

[druS]

I've been wondering about similar topics, so hope this is not considered off-topic.

How would wind and waves on Titan compare to Earth. Instead of swimming how would sailing be effected?

PS: Gian - if this is too far astray from your query let me know I'll start something else.

[Gian]

On 08/05/2018 at 10:59 PM, druS said:

I've been wondering about similar topics, so hope this is not considered off-topic.

How would wind and waves on Titan compare to Earth. Instead of swimming how would sailing be effected?

PS: Gian - if this is too far astray from your query let me know I'll start something else.

Not at all, although I've no idea of the answer!