Posted on 09/23/2022 4:27:20 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The mission will be named Tianwen 4 and will see a larger probe destined for Jupiter and smaller spacecraft to be sent to make a flyby of distant Uranus.
The pair will launch on a Long March 5 rocket and use a Venus flyby and two Earth flybys to fling the spacecraft on a trajectory for the outer solar system before separating and setting course for their respective targets.
The main spacecraft will be dedicated to investigate the Jupiter system and will eventually enter orbit around the moon Callisto for a detailed investigation of the outermost of the Galilean moons.
The smaller spacecraft, which will have a mass on the order of a few hundred kilograms according to Wang, will make the longer voyage to Uranus.
CNSA was earlier considering a lander as part of the Callisto-focused mission profile, but Wang says that the latest concept includes an orbiter but no lander.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Thank you!
China wants to probe Uranus and Jupiter with 2 spacecraft on one rocket.....can’t make this stuff up. Bet.
This is going to be fun.
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