Adela-Nicole Prodan-Hora
School: ”Ion Luca Caragiale” National High School
City: Bucharest
Topic: Triton
Shall we visit Triton once again?
"A most intriguing discovery which triggered the scientists‘ interest has been reported during Voyager’s 2 flyby near Neptune. The spacecraft managed to quickly scan some of Neptune’s natural satellites and got intriguing information, especially about Neptune’s largest moon - Triton.
Among them, Triton seems to be the most eligible planet for the occurrence of life, having potential for habitability due of its subterranean ocean which might be capable of hosting molecular life.
Further, Triton is one of the few natural satellites of our solar system with high geological activity. The geothermal heating from the limit between the core and mantle leads to cryovolcanism, where water ammonia and nitrogen gas burst forth from the surface instead of liquid rock. Also, Triton’s large rocky interior is radioactive enough to power convection in the mantle, which may even be sufficient to maintain a subterranean ocean, a warm-water ocean hintingat presence of life beneath the icy crusts.
The presence of these cryovolcanic plumes is a compeling target for further exploration.
First of all, the construction of some machines, with the help of which we can enter the vast subsurface ocean through geysers, could help us to determine its composition and whether the ocean interacts with the surface environment.
Secondly, the plumes could be an efficient way to generate power for a future human space station on Triton, which could be a gateway for further missions.
Thirdly, Triton is believed to come from the Kuiper belt, so known as the ”limit of knowledge”, because no man-made object has reached further. So, Triton is our best chance to find out more about the primordial matter, from which it is formed.
But along with the good news, bad news come as well. Because of the moon’s retrograde orbit, there is a high risk that Triton might be torn apart in some million years.
Taking into account humankind's quick progress, I am confident that people will soon be able to design some space crafts capable of exploring Triton and setting up a new research station."