Author Topic: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey  (Read 78662 times)

Offline Don2

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #20 on: 07/24/2020 08:26 am »
@whitelancer64 ... No, NASA can continue to buy launch vehicles the way it does now, and if the launch cost more than expected that would not affect the PI budget. I think it should be possible for people to propose missions using Falcon Heavy, but they also need to have an incentive to use a cheaper launch vehicle if possible. I think the proposal should be charged a fixed amount by NASA depending on what class of launch they require. $200 million seems reasonable for a 'Heavy' launch, $100 million seems right for a regular launch. The costs caps for Discovery and New Frontiers would increase to accommodate the cost of a launch.

@vjkane...Despite taking operations costs out of Discovery budgets, there has yet to be a successful Discovery proposal for an outer planets mission. (unless you count Lucy) The solution for outer planets exploration is to have more New Frontiers opportunities and to give people the freedom to propose any target beyond the orbit of Jupiter. The inner solar system is well catered to by the Discovery program, so I think it is appropriate for New Frontiers opportunities there to be more limited.

Jupiter is a borderline case. It is an outer planet, but it can be done with solar panels rather than an RTG. It has an active mission now and two Flagships are in the works. I'd leave it off the New Frontiers list but it would still be open to Discovery proposals.

On the subject of ice giants, I think they deserve a small Flagship even if there are viable New Frontiers orbiters. They are common among exoplanets, yet we know very little about them. Accomplishing the highest priority goals requires both an atmosphere probe and gravity science.
« Last Edit: 07/24/2020 08:28 am by Don2 »

Offline Don2

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #21 on: 07/25/2020 07:30 am »
I have some more general thoughts about the Decadal Survey.

In my opinion, the biggest new findings of the past decade have been:

1/ Pluto is active!
2/ Hydrothermal activity on Ceres
3/ Mars had long lived lakes and there are lots of organics  in the rocks
4/ There are lots of exoplanets, including Earth and Neptune sized ones
5/ Enceladus plumes have organics

I think the major issues for the next decade are:

1/ There are opportunities to find past or present life on Mars, Enceladus, Ceres and Europa. Mars sample return and Europa Clipper address two of these opportunities, but what is to be done about Enceladus and Ceres?
2/ What are ice giants, how do they form, and why are they common in other solar systems?
3/ Why are terrestrial planets so diverse?
4/ What is the manned program going to do and what should planetary scientists do to support it?

Looking at the budget, there seems to be $1.2 billion per year to build new missions. Much of that will go to mars sample return for the next few years. After MSR launches in 2026, there will be $7.2 billion over the next 6 years for other things.

I think the money should be spent on 1 Flagship Uranus orbiter and probe for $2.2 billion, 2 New Frontiers missions for $3.0 billion, 2 Discovery missions for $1.6 billion, and at least $400 million towards a strategic mars orbiter launching in 2032.

I think that ice giants are one of the most important gaps in knowledge. Most of our understanding comes from the Voyager 2 flybys. A Uranus orbiter would hugely advance our knowledge of these planets.

I think the targets for New Frontiers missions should be:
1/Any KBO
2/Any mission at Neptune
3/Any mission at Saturn
4/ Comet Sample Return
5/ Ceres Sample Return
6/ A lunar rover with two of the following three features: geochronology, long range or permanently shadowed crater investigation
7/ Any mission at Venus
8/ Mercury lander

I think the decadal survey should select a couple of Discovery sized missions as strategic priorities which would not be part of the competition. The first is a new Mars orbiter launching in 2030 or 2032. By that time, we will be dependent on Maven for relay from Insight and Perseverance. When the results from MSR come in, there is likely to be a call for new landed missions targeting the types of rocks which were most interesting. A new orbiter will be needed to enable site selection for future missions.

If a Venus radar is not picked by the current Discovery competition, then some kind of Venus radar should be selected as a strategic priority. As the people who worked on Magellan retire, the expertise on Venus will disappear unless there is a new mission. As Mars orbiter missions come to an end, there will be an opportunity to move mars scientists over to working on Venus. And future data on exoplanets will raise questions about the different ways terrestrial can evolve. Venus provides an opportunity to study a 'stagnant lid' type terrestrial planet without active plate tectonics.

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #22 on: 07/30/2020 03:56 am »
New thread: New Frontiers 5
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

Offline vjkane

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #23 on: 08/08/2020 05:12 pm »
There was discussion on the New Frontiers 5 thread about appropriate targets.  Blackstar made a comment that the different planetary communities, as represented by their analysis groups, are making recommendations as to whether the next Decadal Survey should specify a list of candidate missions or open the program up to any proposal (like the Discovery program).

I've gathered statements from the various analysis groups in published white papers.  I wasn't able to find a statement for the Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG).  Various documents recommend New Frontiers missions to Ceres, multiple main belt asteroids, and a comet sample return.


Lunar (LEAG)

"LEAG strongly supports using the decadal survey process to identify specific science priorities that should be addressed within the New Frontiers program. This process is the best route for building community consensus for large, high-priority, PI-led missions. Any changes to the New Frontiers target list should be made via a formal, community-focused process, as recommended in the Planetary Decadal Midterm Review."

The document then suggests five possibilities for the Decadal community to consider:

Lunar Geophysical Network
Solar System Chronology*
Lunar Polar Volatiles Explorer
Long-Range Geologic Explorer
Next Generation Lunar Orbiter

*This goal would allow for a South Pole-Aitken Basin sample return, but also allow for in situ measurements using instruments not available at the time of previous Decadal Surveys.
 

Mars (MEPAG)

"In August, 2019, the MEPAG community debated whether a curated list of allowable New Frontiers (NF) missions should exist [VM6 Finding]. Arguments for and against were discussed.

Three points were noted in support of an open competition (no list):

1. Open competition would enable response to rapidly changing priorities, whereas a curated list would not.

2. Making NF mission definition part of an open competition would remove concern about how to keep such a list up-to-date and fair to the entire community.

3. No solar system object would be excluded (e.g., there are currently no Mars or Mercury candidates).

Three factors were cited in support of a curated list of possible NF missions:

1. While it was agreed that open competition would allow rapid respond to science advancements, development of NF proposals require significant time and resources. As a result, a completely open call could overwhelm the supporting technical centers, leading to their internal processes and priorities (rather than the most compelling science) defining which proposals would go forward. Such key support centers could thus become de facto arbitrators and gatekeepers, as they would necessarily down-select proposals based on institutional concerns in addition to science-driven factors (such as internal perception of success or personnel/technical resource allocation). This would stifle both science-driven mission development and likely the diversity of mission types and mission teams.

2. It was agreed that a prioritized NF list would enable the Decadal Survey to set scientific priorities across the most expensive and technically challenging classes of missions (NF and Flagships), while retaining many advantages of open competition. There was concern that if NF was completely open (and thus decoupled from the Decadal Survey process), then the Decadal Survey vetting process would include only Flagships and constitute a much more limited assessment of science-driven mission activity.

3. It was noted that while no Mars candidate is in the present NF list, community discussions held during MEPAG meetings over the past several years and MEPAG Science Analysis Groups have demonstrated that there is high-priority Mars-related science that can be accomplished within the New Frontiers class, and that there are Mars missions which are competitive in this class.

Ultimately, the arguments for a Decadal Survey-crafted and -curated, limited list of NF missions were seen as more compelling than arguments against.

High-priority science investigation areas that fall into the NF class include:
- In situ geochronology
- Regional/global-scale change detection from orbit
- Search for extant life (surface, ice caps, or deep subsurface)
- Recent Martian climate history (both orbital and surface missions)
- Geologic diversity/environmental transitions


Outer Planets (OPAG)

"For New Frontiers class missions, OPAG supports efforts to find a synergistic solution to maintaining the New Frontiers program’s targeted approach to the highest science goals of NASA and the science community, while maintaining the flexibility to respond to new discoveries or new technological opportunities that will evolve in the coming decade. These solutions could be structured in such a way as to allow proposers to respond with creative approaches not envisioned within the survey process, up to and including opening competition to all Ocean Worlds, or to all solar system destinations that address high priority questions advanced in the Decadal Survey. New Frontiers can help address congressional and public interest in an Ocean Worlds program. In all cases, we support the continuing exploration of Ocean Worlds within New Frontiers beyond the selection of the Dragonfly mission to Titan, and advocate for the inclusion of an Enceladus Ocean World mission along with Io Observer (unless selected in the ongoing Discovery competition) and Saturn probes (depending on the outcome of New Frontiers 5). Advances in technology may allow for competed life detection missions or Neptune and Uranus missions within the New Frontiers program. Other concepts deserve consideration as well, such as missions to KBO planets. Given the abundance of worlds to explore in the outer solar system, and the operational challenges of such missions, target restrictions are particularly onerous for the outer planets community."

Offline vjkane

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #24 on: 08/09/2020 01:41 pm »
What I really meant was that an enterprising person might look at what future New Frontiers missions were being considered by each of the AGs in their respective areas. But your info on their position re an open or limited list of targets is also very useful.
To the extent that white papers commissioned by an AG lists targets, they are in my previous post.  Again, SBAG doesn't seem to have a single guiding white paper, but it may come.  I believe that LEAG and MEPAG's relevant white papers were post recently.

Beyond that, I expect a fair number of outside teams to propose various NF concepts.

Offline Don2

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #25 on: 08/16/2020 07:30 am »
I came across a couple of New Frontiers ideas from OPAG meetings.

There is the "Uranus-Dwarf Planet flyby Tour" which would flyby Uranus and then go on to a large KBO. From another presentation it seems the target they have in mind is Varuna, an egg shaped KBO 1000km in diameter  They would also try to get an MU69 sized KBO. They mention the possibility of dropping a probe at Uranus as a foreign contribution.

Also possible is Neptune and RR245, which is a scattered object of 670km diameter. That launches 2/24/31, arrives at Neptune 3/31/39 and RR245 on 8/11/44. It requires a C3 of 106.

Also possible is Saturn and Haumea.



Offline Don2

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #26 on: 08/18/2020 12:16 am »
So, as I mentioned before, there is a case for putting New Frontiers and Discovery on hold and spending the money on 4 small Flagship missions instead. The average cost would be about $1.7 billion per mission.

#1 Saturn system orbiter focused on sampling the plumes of Enceladus and imaging Titan in support of Dragonfly. This would also drop a probe in to Saturn's atmosphere. Cost: $1.6 billion. Launch 2028. Arrival 2034.

#2 Io-Neptune/Triton-KBO flyby. This is an upgraded version of Trident, and would drop a probe into Neptune's atmosphere. Cost $1.2 billion Launch 2031. Arrival 2039.

#3 Uranus orbiter. Cost $2.3 billion Launch mid 2030s. Arrival 2042. This also drops an atmosphere probe.

#4 Fly the VERITAS and DAVINCI proposals to Venus. Cost $1.8 billion Launch date flexible.

There are a couple of advantages to having a planned set of missions. One is that some components could be bought in groups, which would save money. The second is that you would get a complete set of compositional data on the outer planets, which would enable you to spot trends and anomalies.

Together with the European missions, this set of missions would mean that every major solar system object except Pluto would be visited over the next 20 years.

Mercury: Bepi-Columbo
Venus: VERITAS and DAVINCI
Moon: Viper and whatever else CLPS produces
Mars: Perserverance, Rosalind Franklin and sample return
Small bodies: Psyche, Lucy, Dart, Comet Interceptor, Neowise
Jupiter: Juice, Clipper, #2
Saturn: Dragonfly, #1
Uranus: #3
Neptune: #2
KBOs : #2

Offline Don2

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #27 on: 08/23/2020 02:23 am »
Here are proposals for Mars missions presented at recent MEPAG meetings. There appears to be consensus about the need to fly an ice mapping SAR. This instrument features in four proposals. However, Morie and Mosaic use a P-band radar while Ice Mapper and Compass use a Canadian supplied L-band radar.

Mars Flagship:

Mosaic: Potentially Flagship class cost

***

Mars New Frontiers:

Morie :
Ground ice, recent climate variation and geological mapping : P-Band (450 MHz) Radar; IR spectrometer 1.3-4.2 microns 5m resolution; IR spectrometer 6-25 microns at 100m resolution; 1m resolution camera 20 channels 0.4-1.7 microns; wide angle camera; stereo camera for 5m resolution digital elevation model; 3m Ka band HGA 200Wrf; 47 sq m solar array; SEP; slightly over New Frontiers cost cap
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/Day2/15_MORIE_for_MEPAG_post.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JMUqa-T2is&feature=youtu.be

Mosaic:
Climate, ionosphere-magnetosphere and atmospheric escape : Up to 10 mostly small spacecraft; 1 Mothership in polar orbit, 4 Areostationaries, 2 Elliptical, 3 Polar; New Frontiers to Flagship class cost
Mothership in polar orbit has P-Band Radar for ground ice mapping, weather instruments, wind measuring instruments, and upper atmosphere instruments.
Polar orbiting small sats measure atmospheric temperature profiles at different times of day.
Elliptical small sats focus on magnetospere
Areostationary spacecraft measure weather, magnetosphere and upstream solar wind
Cost is New Frontiers to Flagship class
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/Day2/13_MOSAIC_MEPAG_2020_short_version_minimal_backup_post.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnu2stLRY74&feature=youtu.be


Mars Astrobiological Cave and Internal Habitability Explorer (MACIE)
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/whitetopics/WhitePaper_08_PhillipsLander.MACIE.pdf

VALKYRIE: Deep drill to 10m and look for life
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/whitetopics/WhitePaper_06_Stamenkovic.DeepTrekTech.pdf

Geochronology study: A single site Mars geochronology mission is in the New Frontiers cost class
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/Day2/17_MEPAG_talk_v3_post.pdf


***

Mars New Frontiers / Discovery:

Ice Mapper: Maps ice to 6m depth using Canadian L-band (930 Mhz) SAR technology. This is likely a Discovery sized concept, but cost isn't stated so I place it here. Note that there are two competing ice mapping radar proposals. These radars can also spot geological features buried beneath dust.The P-band radar on Morie claims to be able to go deeper, down to 20m.
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/Day1/16_WATZIN-HALTIGIN-Ice%20Mapper_MEPAG_%20April%20152020_Final%20v2_post.pdf
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=50119.0

MER class rover with modern instruments :
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/whitetopics/WhitePaper_31_Blake.MERclassRover.pdf

***

Mars Discovery:

General proposal for measuring Mars Atmospheric Winds from orbit:
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/whitetopics/WhitePaper_14_Guzewich.MeasuringWinds.pdf
Uses LIDAR or sub-millimeter sounder

Compass: Maps ice using Canadian supplied SAR, operating in L-band. Also has sounder for temperature profiles, wide angle camera and wind measurement using sub-millimeter wave instrument
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/ninthmars2019/pdf/6450.pdf

Icebreaker: Polar lander with 1m drill and life detection instruments
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/abstracts/McKay_Icebreaker.pdf

Mpress: Airbag polar lander with 50cm drill feeding samples to tunable laser spectrometer and raman spectrometer. Also ground penetrating radar to study layering and meteorological instruments. Winter meteorology is enabled by RHUs with powersticks.
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/abstracts/Byrne_M-PRESS.pdf

***

Other:

General proposal for Areostationary orbiter:
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/whitetopics/WhitePaper_13_Montabone.Aerostationary.pdf
Good for weather, surface properties, upstream solar wind, communications relay; cost not quoted but probably Discovery class

Terrestrial planets comparative climatology: Visits both Mars and Venus using SEP, drops probe at Venus
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2020-04/whitetopics/WhitePaper_15_Tamppari.TPCCMission.pdf
Measures solar energy inputs and wind profiles at both planets; Cost not quoted but likely New Frontiers

Aeolus: Wind measurements from a small spacecraft. This uses a Doppler wind sounder.
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2017-09/05_092517-MEPAG35-Aeolus-Colaprete.pdf

Mars Polardrop: Microlanders to investigate polar icecaps and climate. Uses small probes with parawings to land meteorological payloads.
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/abstracts/Hayne_PolarDrop.pdf

Mars Ice Condensation and Density Orbiter: Imaging Lidar to monitor the polar night
https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/abstracts/Titus_MICADO.pdf

Bio-safety Level 4 Sample receiving facility for Mars Sample Return

Offline Don2

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #28 on: 08/25/2020 07:11 am »
Here are proposals for Lunar, Venus and Mercury missions. There are two lunar sample return proposals. One is Discovery cost class (Isochron), and the other is New Frontiers cost class (South pole aitken basin). I don't know why those two differ in cost.

Something that was new to me was the proposal to detect seismic signals on Venus from a balloon using infrasound.


Lunar New Frontiers:

Geochronology: Two site hopper mission is a Flagship class, single site mission is New Frontiers class

South Pole Aitken Basin Sample Return
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20160005243

Intrepid long range moon rover: RTG powered with range over 1800 km. Surveys 4 billion years of lunar magmatism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmKakqNVtMI&feature=youtu.be

Lunar Geophysical Network:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rf8uQUswZQ&feature=youtu.be
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2020/pdf/2355.pdf

***

Lunar Discovery:

Lunar Compass rover mission exploring a lunar magnetic anomaly
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2018/pdf/1732.pdf

Isochron : Sample return from youngest lunar basalt to improve solar system chronology
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2019/pdf/1110.pdf

***

Other lunar:
Next generation lunar orbiter
Reusable, refuelable sample return lander based at Gateway

***

Venus Flagship Mission concept: This includes an orbiter with SAR, a lander, a long lived balloon and a couple of small sats to study atmospheric escape. The radar has goals similar to Envision and complementary to VERITAS. This mission focuses on high resolution imaging of up to 1m resolution of small areas, while VERITAS does global topography and medium resolution imaging. New to me was the proposal for a long-lived variable altitude balloon, which would be capable of seismic studies using infrasound. If that technology works, it would be a breakthrough in studying the Venus interior.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbFycq-1tgE&feature=youtu.be
Venus balloon link: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/reports/Venus_Aerial_Platforms_Final_Report_Summary_Report_10_25_2018.pdf

***

Mercury Lander Mission Concept (New Frontiers class)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKH6oymc93M&feature=youtu.be

***

Link to planetary mission concept studies workshop 5-26-20 : https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/pmcs2020/format/

Link to lunar workshop on decadal preparations: https://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag/meetings/archive/

Offline vjkane

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #29 on: 01/02/2021 01:30 pm »
This site lists the upcoming meetings of the Decadal Survey panels.

If you're interested, you'd need to watch these meetings as they occur.  Videos of the meetings and the presentations from the meetings are not being posted.

Events | Space Studies Board https://www.nationalacademies.org/ssb/events

Offline vjkane

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #30 on: 01/02/2021 05:21 pm »
This site has all the final reports for the mission concept studies completed before the start of the Decadal Survey process.

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/documents

Offline vjkane

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #31 on: 01/02/2021 05:57 pm »

I got curious about the possible range of costs for the missions presented in the advanced concept studies.  The table in the attached image are the costs reported in the studies.  Phases A-D are for costs through launch; phases E-F are post-launch costs.  I excluded the costs of launches.

In the last Decadal Survey, independent cost estimates for mission concepts came in much higher than those provided by the teams that did the studies (which would be comparable to the costs reported here).  For the current Survey, the teams had longer times to conduct the studies, so these costs are likely to be higher fidelity.

Offline Frogstar_Robot

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #32 on: 01/05/2021 04:35 pm »
This site lists the upcoming meetings of the Decadal Survey panels.

If you're interested, you'd need to watch these meetings as they occur.  Videos of the meetings and the presentations from the meetings are not being posted.

Events | Space Studies Board https://www.nationalacademies.org/ssb/events

Just a heads up : live stream https://livestream.com/accounts/7036396/events/9471780 starts in 30 minutes.

Quote
An open meeting of the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032: Panel on Mars.
This meeting will focus on lessons learned from previous missions that can be applied to proposed or ongoing Mars programs and on technology development for future missions.
Rule 1: Be civil. Respect other members.
Rule 3: No "King of the Internet" attitudes.

Offline leovinus

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #33 on: 01/05/2021 04:55 pm »
This site lists the upcoming meetings of the Decadal Survey panels.

If you're interested, you'd need to watch these meetings as they occur.  Videos of the meetings and the presentations from the meetings are not being posted.

Events | Space Studies Board https://www.nationalacademies.org/ssb/events

Just a heads up : live stream https://livestream.com/accounts/7036396/events/9471780 starts in 30 minutes.

Quote
An open meeting of the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032: Panel on Mars.
This meeting will focus on lessons learned from previous missions that can be applied to proposed or ongoing Mars programs and on technology development for future missions.

Thanks! This forum gives more-up-to-date info than asking the listed email contact (because I never heard back on my enquiry). Secondly, I see the January 8th Ocean World meeting that was of interest to me is now marked as "closed" compared to "some open, some closed " a few days ago :/

Offline Frogstar_Robot

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #34 on: 01/06/2021 08:13 pm »
I watched nearly all of the open session, always interesting to take a deep dive into this stuff :)

Apart from the science presented, there was a segment on program planning, and quite a few
questions about how to reduce mission cost. SpaceX got an indirect reference, however there were
two speakers from LockMart who basically said "it's a question of supply and demand, and there is very
little demand [for Mars missions]".

It seems that exploring the Martian subsurface will provide big science payback, but that requires drilling to a
decent depth (10-100km), as well as rovers that can travel 100s of km rather than 100s of meters. If SpaceX can
provide a launch vehicle for that type of mission, it would be a real game changer.

« Last Edit: 01/06/2021 08:16 pm by Frogstar_Robot »
Rule 1: Be civil. Respect other members.
Rule 3: No "King of the Internet" attitudes.

Offline leovinus

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #35 on: 01/10/2021 07:55 pm »
I watched nearly all of the open session, always interesting to take a deep dive into this stuff :)

Apart from the science presented, there was a segment on program planning, and quite a few
questions about how to reduce mission cost. SpaceX got an indirect reference, however there were
two speakers from LockMart who basically said "it's a question of supply and demand, and there is very
little demand [for Mars missions]".

It seems that exploring the Martian subsurface will provide big science payback, but that requires drilling to a
decent depth (10-100km), as well as rovers that can travel 100s of km rather than 100s of meters. If SpaceX can
provide a launch vehicle for that type of mission, it would be a real game changer.

I also watched some of the Mars presentations with interest. I had not read or heard much about all the Mars drilling options before which is why I liked the presentations. I'd love to see more open sessions to learn more.

Offline leovinus

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #36 on: 01/12/2021 05:42 pm »
I watched nearly all of the open session, always interesting to take a deep dive into this stuff :)

Apart from the science presented, there was a segment on program planning, and quite a few
questions about how to reduce mission cost. SpaceX got an indirect reference, however there were
two speakers from LockMart who basically said "it's a question of supply and demand, and there is very
little demand [for Mars missions]".

It seems that exploring the Martian subsurface will provide big science payback, but that requires drilling to a
decent depth (10-100km), as well as rovers that can travel 100s of km rather than 100s of meters. If SpaceX can
provide a launch vehicle for that type of mission, it would be a real game changer.

I also watched some of the Mars presentations with interest. I had not read or heard much about all the Mars drilling options before which is why I liked the presentations. I'd love to see more open sessions to learn more.

Today's Mars meeting (agenda attached) was changed from "open" to "closed" at the last moment. Disappointing. I checked the agenda and links yesterday, called in today at 1:30pm, and "nope, closed". The NAS page says
Quote
This meeting originally had an open session component. However, due to schedule conflicts, we have deferred the subject matter discussion to a later date. As of 11 January 2021 at 7:00pm, this meeting will have no open session component.

Offline vjkane

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #37 on: 01/12/2021 07:01 pm »
This Friday's Ocean Worlds panel will have open presentation on a Europa lander concept and an Enceladus orbilander.

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/01-15-2021/planetary-science-and-astrobiology-decadal-survey-2023-2032-panel-on-ocean-worlds-and-dwarf-planets-meeting-13

Offline leovinus

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #38 on: 01/12/2021 07:24 pm »
This Friday's Ocean Worlds panel will have open presentation on a Europa lander concept and an Enceladus orbilander.

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/01-15-2021/planetary-science-and-astrobiology-decadal-survey-2023-2032-panel-on-ocean-worlds-and-dwarf-planets-meeting-13

Thanks! It was already in my calendar and I am looking forward to it.

Offline leovinus

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Re: 2022 Planetary Decadal Survey
« Reply #39 on: 01/12/2021 07:26 pm »
The rules are that an open meeting can be closed (if there are no outside speakers), but a closed meeting cannot be opened. So if we are planning a meeting with speakers we list an open meeting, but if the speakers cannot make it, then we make that a closed meeting. The speaker was unavailable, so they changed to a closed meeting only and will have that speaker at an open meeting later.

Thank you. I appreciate the clarification. 

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