Posted on 04/19/2022 9:09:28 AM PDT by Red Badger
A new decadal survey outlines planetary defense and science goals through 2032. Top of the list: sending spacecraft to Uranus.
Uranus in 1986. Uranus, as seen by Voyager 2 in January 1986.Image: NASA/JPL
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A new report covering the next 10 years of American planetary science and astrobiology concludes that a Uranus Orbiter and Probe should be “the highest priority large mission.” This decadal survey from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is intended to shape funding and research efforts through 2032.
It calls for a spacecraft that will orbit Uranus and map its gravitational and magnetic fields. The orbiter would circle Uranus for several years and deliver an atmospheric probe into the planet’s hydrogen sulfide-rich skies.
The 780-page document comes on the heels of the decadal survey of astronomical goals, published in November. The new survey outlines scientific priorities and funding recommendations for planetary science, astrobiology, and planetary defense, as defined by hundreds of members of those fields.
“This recommended portfolio of missions, high-priority research activities, and technology development will produce transformative advances in human knowledge and understanding about the origin and evolution of the solar system, and of life and the habitability of other bodies beyond Earth,” said Robin Canup, an assistant vice president of the Planetary Sciences Directorate at the Southwest Research Institute and a co-chair of the survey’s steering committee, in a National Academies release.
Related Stories Scientists Are Skeptical of Space Command’s ‘Interstellar’ Meteor Claims Dead Sunspot Explosion Spits Plasma Toward Earth NASA’s InSight Caught a Lonely Martian Sunrise The report is organized around 12 priority science topics, including questions about exoplanets and the structure of distant worlds, how our solar system began and evolved, and why life manages to exist on Earth (and how that may help us understand its potential existence elsewhere).
The decadal survey recommends pursuing several missions within different NASA programs. It says the highest priority flagship mission of the next decade should be a probe of Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun.
The case for Uranus was made by a team led by Mark Hofstadter, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a white paper. That team concludes that the main goals should be to investigate the composition and structure of Uranus, the nature of its magnetic field, how its internal heat moves to the surface, and specifics of its atmosphere, moons, and ring system. As previously reported by Gizmodo, Uranus smells like farts. But only so much detail about the ice giant can be discerned from 1.92 billion miles away, hence the need for new up-close observations.
The report says that a launch to Uranus between 2023 and 2032 could be done with currently available launchers, and that if the mission leaves in 2031 or 2032, it could capitalize on a gravity assist from Jupiter to hasten its journey.
The second-highest priority large mission should be the Enceladus Orbilander, according to the report. The orbilander is a combination orbiter and lander that would scrutinize Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn that has shown signs could sustain microbial life.
More: Astronomers Spot X-Rays Coming From Uranus
Oh go on. Don’t be shy. Use the name of the planet in that sentence.
;^)
The jokes here on FR write themselves.
I suspected as much.
It’s a probe of another kind.
Certain California taxpayers are going to be very disappointed that this has to do with astronomy!
In that photo, an absolutely featureless planet.
Robin's Eggs..........
Close Encounters of the Turd Kind...............
The jokes write themselves.
Mayor Peter Eater will be the mission commander.
Wonder if they’ll find any Klingons there
Lindsay Graham is in charge of the probing.
Calling Dr. Proctor
Yesterday a wrote a check for my federal taxes. My anus feels well probed today.
FreeRepublic, come for the news, stay for the comments.
That’s what I told my girlfriend too, that probing Uranus was a priority for me. She slapped me.
So you are saying Uranus is beautiful?
You should post a picture of Uranus so we can be the judge.
heh
“Probing Uranus is top priority...” I would’ve thought this to be a statement from Disney to American children.
“As previously reported by Gizmodo, Uranus smells like farts. But only so much detail about the ice giant can be discerned from 1.92 billion miles away, hence the need for new up-close observations.”
A nosy crew is on its way to confirm this initial report.
It’s the top priority for our Transportation Secretary Pete!
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