Illustration of Shapeshifter on Titan’s Surface
Caption:
An illustration of an early concept of Shapeshifter imagines the robots on Saturn's moon Titan. In the picture, the Shapeshifter breaks into smaller pieces that can investigate a methane waterfall from the sky. Shapeshifter is a developing concept for a transformational vehicle to explore treacherous, distant worlds. The flying amphibious robot is part of the early-stage research program
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts
(NIAC), which offers several phases of funding to visionary concepts, helping turn ideas that sound like science fiction into science fact. JPL Principle Investigator Ali Agha envisions Shapeshifter as a mission to Saturn's moon Titan, the only other world in the solar system known to have liquid in the form of methane lakes, rivers and seas on its surface.
Cataloging Keywords:
| Name |
Value |
Additional Values |
| Target |
Titan |
|
| System |
Saturn |
|
| Target Type |
Satellite |
|
| Mission |
|
|
| Instrument Host |
|
|
| Host Type |
|
|
| Instrument |
|
|
| Detector |
|
|
| Extra Keywords |
Methane, Water |
| Acquisition Date |
|
| Release Date |
2019-09-25 |
| Date in Caption |
|
|
| Image Credit |
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Marilynn Flynn |
| Source |
photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23434 |
| Identifier |
PIA23434 |
