Preparing for a future in situ mission to Titan

It is becoming clear that any future mission to Titan will require the delivery and support of in situ elements to address high priority science questions raised by both the Cassini-Huygens mission and the international science community participating in recent NASA-ESA mission studies. The most recent studies have specifically identified the Montgolfie¿re hot air balloon (Titan's rover) and lake lander as providing the highest value science return for future missions to Titan. Furthermore, results from science, technical, and management review of recent studies have focused current technical efforts on key areas for increasing the readiness of these in situ elements for launch. The purpose of this paper is to provide a technical overview of the Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) architecture and its elements and the progress and plans toward reducing risk and increasing readiness.