Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP)

[leovinus]

Link from the national academies to watch their planetary decadal report today at 1pm cst.

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/04-19-2022/planetary-science-and-astrobiology-decadal-survey-2023-2032-public-release-of-the-survey-report

Per the Decadal report, an Uranus Orbiter & Probe (UOP) is a priority. We do not seem to have a thread for it. Attached the mission report via https://tinyurl.com/2p88fx4f on page 618 of the report.

[redliox]

(UOP) is a priority. We do not seem to have a thread for it. Attached the mission report via https://tinyurl.com/2p88fx4f on page 618 of the report.

We had an Ice Giants thread. I recall 4 options were emphasized at one point:

1) Uranus flyby
2) Uranus orbiter with probe
3) Uranus orbiter with more instruments
4) Neptune orbiter with probe

The Uranus orbiter with probe seems like a beefy hybrid of options 2/3.  Neptune (or perhaps rather Triton) was favored, but Uranus wins out in the easier-to-reach department.  I am glad they haven't forgotten the idea, as it came in third behind 'Clipper and MSR.

[dglow]

(UOP) is a priority. We do not seem to have a thread for it. Attached the mission report via https://tinyurl.com/2p88fx4f on page 618 of the report.

We had an Ice Giants thread. I recall 4 options were emphasized at one point:

1) Uranus flyby
2) Uranus orbiter with probe
3) Uranus orbiter with more instruments
4) Neptune orbiter with probe

The Uranus orbiter with probe seems like a beefy hybrid of options 2/3.  Neptune (or perhaps rather Triton) was favored, but Uranus wins out in the easier-to-reach department.  I am glad they haven't forgotten the idea, as it came in third behind 'Clipper and MSR.

Third behind existing projects, of course, but first among new flagship recommendations. UOP will happen!

[redliox]

There was a minor bonus I noted about the nominal Jupiter fly-by: UOP makes a fairly close flyby of Callisto.  It reminds me of how the Trident Discovery proposal would have flown past Io in its Jovian flyby.  The pic from the UOP PDF.

[skizzo]

I think JUICE will give us quite a bit of info on Callisto, dont know how close they'll get, but I know there'll be quite a few flybys there.

[redliox]

Are Ariel and Titania the 2 Uranian moons getting visited most?

[lieder]

Would the probe target clouds?  The chemistry must be amazing and incorporate rich competition.

[skizzo]

Are Ariel and Titania the 2 Uranian moons getting visited most?

Hopefully Miranda too

[yg1968]

https://twitter.com/SPACEdotcom/status/1562470713491013632

[skizzo]

Hopefully it goes forward then

[Zed_Noir]

It is unlikely for any outer system Flagship mission to start until after the Europa Lander mission, IMO.

[Yiosie]

It is unlikely for any outer system Flagship mission to start until after the Europa Lander mission, IMO.

Europa Lander is not going to happen, in all likelihood. The main driver in Congress for the Europa Lander was John Culberson (who lost reelection in 2018), so it is unlikely that Congress will mandate it over the recommendations of the decadal survey.

Planetary science decadal endorses Mars sample return, outer planets missions

The report considered four other flagship mission concepts: a Europa lander, Mercury lander, Neptune orbiter and probe, and a Venus mission that included orbiters, a lander, and a “aerobot” that would operate in the planet’s atmosphere. The decadal survey declined to endorse them because of issues such as cost and technology readiness.

[libra]

NASA really wants to probe Uranus

To boldly go, where the Sun never shines...

[Star One]

Bizarrely one of the tabloids in the UK had this as its main headline. No doubt just so they could do the obvious joke headline

[libra]

Sorry for the lame joke, in passing - I know it is a serious thread. And that the joke is a bit... tiring.

[skizzo]

It is unlikely for any outer system Flagship mission to start until after the Europa Lander mission, IMO.

Europa Lander is not going to happen, in all likelihood. The main driver in Congress for the Europa Lander was John Culberson (who lost reelection in 2018), so it is unlikely that Congress will mandate it over the recommendations of the decadal survey.

Planetary science decadal endorses Mars sample return, outer planets missions

The report considered four other flagship mission concepts: a Europa lander, Mercury lander, Neptune orbiter and probe, and a Venus mission that included orbiters, a lander, and a “aerobot” that would operate in the planet’s atmosphere. The decadal survey declined to endorse them because of issues such as cost and technology readiness.

Maybe he's talking about until after the Europa orbiter launches

[Zed_Noir]

It is unlikely for any outer system Flagship mission to start until after the Europa Lander mission, IMO.

Europa Lander is not going to happen, in all likelihood. The main driver in Congress for the Europa Lander was John Culberson (who lost reelection in 2018), so it is unlikely that Congress will mandate it over the recommendations of the decadal survey.

Planetary science decadal endorses Mars sample return, outer planets missions

The report considered four other flagship mission concepts: a Europa lander, Mercury lander, Neptune orbiter and probe, and a Venus mission that included orbiters, a lander, and a “aerobot” that would operate in the planet’s atmosphere. The decadal survey declined to endorse them because of issues such as cost and technology readiness.

Think institutional inertia will keep the Europa Lander alive. It will be a choice of a outer system mission that will take at least a decade of transit time with multiple RTG units or a Europa Lander mission after peak Mars sample return spending, IMO.

[Blackstar]

Think institutional inertia will keep the Europa Lander alive. It will be a choice of a outer system mission that will take at least a decade of transit time with multiple RTG units or a Europa Lander mission after peak Mars sample return spending, IMO.

It was not ranked in the decadal survey. Institutional inertia requires money, advocacy. Previously the money came from a powerful member of Congress stuffing money into an unapproved program. That no longer exists. As for advocacy, there are not a lot of people out there advocating for the lander right now. If there were, it would have ranked higher in the decadal survey. So as an idea it can continue on, but it's not really going to get money or much traction, certainly not in the way that it did the past decade.

[redliox]

https://twitter.com/ExploreIGO/status/1568673629856043010

We want to know, what would YOU name the #Uranus Orbiter & Probe Mission?

Personally I'd suggest naming the orbiter Hershel and the probe Monnier in a Uranian allegory to Cassini and Huygens.

[skizzo]

The Odyssey

Uranus moons are connected to Shakespeare