/sci/ - Science & Math

>>12115956
I meant in terms of launching from the surface, but as >>12115949 pointed out we could use a balloon.
So what I gather is this:
• Starship launches everything to Venus
• Zeppelin is deployed to middle atmosphere with Pegasus-style air launcher
• Ground collection probe is deployed - drops from zeppelin and parachutes down. Needs some hardy ass parachutes and needs to be made of something that won't fucking melt right away
• Quickly scoops up dirt and rocks. This needs to be fast, and for best results the landing area should be pre-determined by radar for best geological sample (duh)
• Sample secure; balloons inflate and probe rendezvous with zeppelin
• Transfer of sample to Pegasus-launcher, payload launched to LVO where starship then gets it and brings it back to Earth

>>11809709
>>11809714
Unfortunately that's how we have to operate a lot of our missions these days, especially in a highly political climate. Stuff like the sample cache and proposed 100x RTG MOXIE experiment are done because, as far as we know, the only way we will get missions done are on expensive rockets like SLS. By doing things like this it gives us leverage to talk to the politicians and say "hey it's already there so we need funding to go and finish this project we've already spent money on."
I can't wait for the day Jim goes full God mode and tells us we can launch anything (including humans) on Starship. I'm scared Jim will get the axe after Trump, and the new liberal politicians will refuse to buy Starship seats and focus on Earth-Observation satellites to please Twitter and get votes.
Fuck liberals
Fuck china
Fuck hydrolox rockets
Simple as

>>11587224
Titan is crazy. I love the idea of Dragonfly and I really want to see a Balloon mission sent there with the capacity to circumnavigate the whole body. We could see the dunes at the equator and the geomorphology of the polar lakes.