March OPAG presentations available |
March OPAG presentations available |
Apr 8 2008, 09:37 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 706 Joined: 22-April 05 Member No.: 351 |
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/march_08_meeting/agenda.html
LOTS of interesting material here. Some highlights that interested me: Cassini extended-extended mission (XXM) could last 7 years and end with a series of very close (10,000's km) polar orbits through the D ring gap to enable close in gravity and magnetometer mapping a la Juno Argo proposal would be a New Horizon's class fly by of a Trojan, Saturn, Neptune/Triton, and one or more KBOs for ~$800M (but requires radioactive power source, so would seem to be out of contention for next New Frontiers) Joint Jupiter mission design. NASA supplied Europa orbiter now required to conduct Jupiter system science including up to 4 Io flybys. To fit within the $2.1B cap (with 33% margin), Europa orbit would be reduced to 60 days and several instruments from the Flagship proposal would be dropped including the narrow angle camera) Titan mission. Aerocapture no longer allowed, so craft would enter Saturn orbit first. Potentially allows new Enceladus observations. (Editorial note: Presentation was long on concepts, short on specifics. If this is an indication of the maturity of the mission concept, this does not bode well. I hope that this is only the style of presentation chosen by the presenter). Nature of ESA in situ probe(s) to be decided. ESA Cosmic Vision outer planet mission. ESA is considering three missions for the next cosmic vision mission: an outer planets joint mission with NASA (Jupiter or Titan/Saturn), XEUS (X-ray observatory), or LISA (gravity wave observatory). Down select to two of the three end of '09, final single mission selected in 2011. Radioisotope power. Lots of technical update, but a gem in the backup, the ASRG (Sterling engine) mission concepts being studied in more detail than I've seen elsewhere: Moon polar rover (2 concepts) Titan boat(!) Io observer Trojan lander Comet lander Comet coma rendezvou sample return Mars lander drill ("a tour through Martian history") Venus balloons (2) -------------------- |
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Apr 21 2008, 07:39 AM
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 3233 Joined: 11-February 04 From: Tucson, AZ Member No.: 23 |
Decoupled development schedules doesn't necessarily imply that these probes would be developed under different programs, however they are necessary due to the different schedules demands placed on the approved project by NASA and ESA. At least for the Jupiter mission, NASA wants the Europa Orbiter out the door by 2017 at the latest, while ESA won't get JPO out the door until 2018 at the earliest, 2020 if they couple it with Japan's Magnetospheric Orbiter. Obviously such requirements will necessitate decoupled development schedules and independent launches. But it isn't meant to imply that these would be two separate programs. Unusual yes, but I can definitely see science teams being shared between the two spacecraft, for example, imaging teams having the same makeup on both spacecraft.
What is more disconcerting, as vjkane has pointed out, is that ESA has an added downselection process which could nix their contribution IF they choose to go with a gravity wave or X-ray observatory instead. NASA will go with their contribution with a new start in FY09 while ESA can't get started until FY11. As far as JPO not being discussed by Ron Greeley at OPAG, well, that is a little worrisome, but considering that we are early in this process of development, I will choose to chalk that up to them not getting to that component in the mission yet. Perhaps their stateside meetings have focused on the Europa Orbiter while the meetings on the other side of the Atlantic will get into the nitty-gritty of ESA's contribution. -------------------- &@^^!% Jim! I'm a geologist, not a physicist!
The Gish Bar Times - A Blog all about Jupiter's Moon Io |
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