Projected to launch in 2040, the National Aeronautics and Space Association (NASA) recently released a PDF containing details about a nuclear robotic submarine proposed as a way to explore Kraken Mare.

Kraken Mare is believed to be the largest body of water on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. In size, it is comparable to the Great Lakes and represents an unprecedented opportunity for exploration. According to NASA’s document, the submarine would be capable of completing a 90-day, 2000-kilometer journey via a radioisotope Sterling generator as a power source. 

“The direct transmission of worthwhile amounts of data over a billion miles to Earth requires a large antenna, implemented as a planar phased-array dorsal fin,” NASA states in the document. The scientists working on the project have concerns regarding the difficulty of transmitting information through the liquid of the ocean on Titan.

NASA hopes to discover new information through this mission, including “chemical composition of the liquid, surface and subsurface currents, mixing and layering in the water column, tides, wind and waves, bathymetry, and bottom features and composition.” Source

NASA has also released a concept video, which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnKxbdpLP5E.