RenegadeRad

Before you read, please don't bash my points, I found them in my research, I am just curious and need someone's non rude opinion and discussion about it. Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is at present an open question and a topic of scientific assessment and research. Titan is far colder than Earth, and its surface lacks stable liquid water; factors whichhave led some scientists to consider life there unlikely. It has a methane cycle analouge to earths water cycle and there are many other factors and analogyies which argue it may host complex probiotic life. Some reasons I found in my research (source - wiki, I know it is not the most reliable source, but I just found it and need someone smart enough here to discuss this) 1) The Miller–Urey experiment and several following experiments have shown that with an atmosphere similar to that of Titan and the addition of UV radiation, complex molecules and polymer substances like tholins can be generated. The reaction starts withdissociation of nitrogen and methane, forming hydrogen cyanide and acetylene. Further reactions have been studied extensively. 2) In October 2010, Sarah Horst of the University of Arizona reported finding the five nucleotide bases—building blocks of DNA and RNA—among the many compounds produced when energy was applied to a combination of gases like those in Titan's atmosphere. Horst also found amino acids, the building blocks ofprotein. She said it was the first time nucleotide bases and amino acids had been found in such an experiment without liquid water being present. 3) On April 3, 2013, NASA reported that complexorganic chemicals could arise on Titan based on studies simulating the atmosphere of Titan. 4) Laboratory simulations have led to the suggestion that enough organic material exists on Titan to start a chemical evolution analogous to what is thought to have started life on Earth. Although the analogy assumes the presence of liquid water for longer periods than is currently observable, several theories suggest that liquid water from an impact could be preserved under a frozen isolation layer. it has also been theorized that liquid-ammonia oceans could exist deep below the surface. Another model suggests an ammonia–water solution as much as 200 kilometres (120 mi) deep beneath a water-ice crust with conditions that, although extreme by terrestrial standards, are such that life could indeed survive. Heat transfer between the interior and upper layers would be critical in sustaining any subsurface oceanic life. Detection of microbial life on Titan would depend on its biogenic effects. That the atmospheric methane and nitrogen might be of biological origin has been examined, for example. 5) It has been suggested that life could exist in the lakes of liquid methane on Titan, just as organisms on Earth live in water. Such organisms would inhale H2 in place of O2, metabolize it with acetylene instead ofglucose, and exhale methane instead of carbon dioxide. 6) Although all living things on Earth (including methanogens) use liquid water as a solvent, it is speculated that life on Titan might instead use a liquid hydrocarbon, such as methane or ethane. Water is a stronger solvent than methane. However, water is also more chemically reactive, and can break down large organic molecules throughhydrolysis. A life-form whose solvent was a hydrocarbon would not face the risk of its biomolecules being destroyed in this way. 7) In 2005, astrobiologist Chris McKay argued that if methanogenic life did exist on the surface of Titan, it would likely have a measurable effect on the mixing ratio in the Titan troposphere: levels of hydrogen and acetylene would be measurably lower than otherwise expected. 8) In 2010, Darrell Strobel, from Johns Hopkins University, identified a greater abundance of molecular hydrogen in the upper atmospheric layers of Titan compared to the lower layers, arguing for a downward flow at a rate of roughly 1025 molecules per second and disappearance of hydrogen near Titan's surface; as Strobel noted, his findings were in line with the effects McKay had predicted ifmethanogenic life-forms were present. Same year, another study showed low levels of acetylene on Titan's surface, which were interpreted by McKay as consistent with the hypothesis of organisms consuming hydrocarbons. Although restating the biological hypothesis, he cautioned that other explanations for the hydrogen and acetylene findings are more likely: the possibilities of yet unidentified physical or chemical processes (e.g. a surface catalyst accepting hydrocarbons or hydrogen), or flaws in the current models of material flow. Composition data and transport models need to be substantiated, etc. Even so, despite saying that a non-biological catalytic explanation would be less startling than a biological one, McKay noted that the discovery of a catalyst effective at 95 K (−180 °C) would still be significant. 9) As NASA notes in its news article on the June 2010 findings: "To date, methane-based life forms are only hypothetical. Scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere. As the NASA statement also says: "some scientists believe these chemical signatures bolster the argument for a primitive, exotic form of life or precursor to life on Titan's surface." 10) In February 2015, a hypothetical cell membrane capable of functioning in liquidmethane in Titan conditions was modeled. Composed of small molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, it would have the same stability and flexibility as cell membranes on Earth, which are composed ofphospholipids, compounds of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus. This hypothetical cell membrane was termed an "azotosome", a combination of "azote", French for nitrogen, and "liposome". 11) Despite these biological possibilities, there are formidable obstacles to life on Titan, and any analogy to Earth is inexact. At a vast distance from the Sun, Titan is frigid, and its atmosphere lacks CO2. At Titan's surface, water exists only in solid form. Because of these difficulties, scientists such as Jonathan Lunine have viewed Titan less as a likely habitat for life, than as an experiment for examining theories on the conditions that prevailed prior to the appearance of life on Earth. Although life itself may not exist, the prebiotic conditions on Titan and the associated organic chemistry remain of great interest in understanding the early history of the terrestrial biosphere. As a prebiotic experiment involves not only observation through spacecraft, but laboratory experiments, and chemical and photochemical modeling on Earth. TL'DR So, what do you think?

Tl'dr

I never said NASA is bad read my earlier comment. are you triggered?

One word - I don't care how anyone comes up with a clever argument or mocking but I hate the government, because they are a bunch of pseudo surrealists who don't care about the real aspect of science and humanity, They just care about them being in power and making agendas. I may be wrong but this ideology wont change for me. On the main note, *IF* SpaceX land's a man on Mars before NASA, I will start to align towards SpaceX because I honestly feel that after the shuttle program Nasa is directionless... Kind of, who knows? And I wonder, what will be our next main location after Mars? Titan? Europa? Pluto?

wot This is like comparing a father to a son, the son may be ambitious and more better to the coming generation but the father also had a history and the son would never exist if the Father was not there or maybe, he is adopted

and you nailed it

It's a joke...

True, but still SpaceX has a 12 year old space enthusiasist like goals whereas Nasa is more adult or not?

Nibb31 Likes rockets. Nothing else. Which, is logical. For the topic, you see that they both have their own goals, Comparing Nasa and SpaceX is unfair. Nasa is like all round and SpaceX is doing what America could not achieve but the Russians did - Rockets. But still you know, Elon Musk is pulling numbers out of his ass, If Nasa was not in the problem of funding and bureaucracy, we would be extremely "advanced" right now...

Kerbal Space Program is better, they have explored the whole solar system, silly noobs SpaceX and Nasa

The scene and thrill when you reenter atmosphere and everything burns.

Dres is a mun wannabe

That made me sadder Thanks Satan.

I like both, and I only play both. Minecraft is all about aesthetics KSP is all about science! And I will keep playing them till the end of time, and bore my kids to play it too. and if these games die, i die with it. *inside, not really*

I don't have the patience...

That awkward moment when OP made a post where everyone gets involved in an interesting conversation but forget the OP...

^ This is pure badass

Guys, a simple shower thought, I wanted to ask, is it possible to convert heat energy into some kind of fuel source for a spacecraft? Imagine a scenario, where when the spacecraft re-enters orbit, the burn would produce so much heat to produce fuel source for it to slow down as a descend burn. Or, when aerobreaking on jupiter, a spacecraft would collect immense amount of heat and radiation enough for a return fuel? Is there anything like this or am I thinking complete BS? Any science theory for this?

Irony how when I said all this in the forums I got made fun of

I don't want to die before seeing a man on Mars or Somewhere where no one had gone before....I just don't...have the patience...

Guess we are not gonna advanced in space until war starts again, eh?

Soundtracks don't play while you're in space

The title says it all, what do you hate something advanced we can do but we are not doing it?

Yea, but on the side note, I want to make Space stations for EACH planet!