ESA L2 and L3 large mission |
ESA L2 and L3 large mission |
Jul 9 2013, 05:12 PM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
ESA has published a series of "white paper" studies on its next two large missions (L2 and L3), to be launched during the 2020s. pick your favorite!
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/do...fobjectid=52029 I doubt a planetary mission will be selected for either mission, since L1 is the JUICE Jupiter-Ganymede orbiter, but you never know... |
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Jul 9 2013, 06:18 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 540 Joined: 17-November 05 From: Oklahoma Member No.: 557 |
This is a 120 MB download, with 587 pages, so depending on your speed it might take awhile. Nice document, though.
Personally, I'd vote for all of them. Not sure I'd want the job of whittling this list down to two. |
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Jul 10 2013, 05:01 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 124 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 291 |
I spent some time reading this during lunch, and for your viewing pleasure here is the first half summarized. Many of the missions seem well thought out with detailed mission information. A few read like something an undergrad wrote up in his spare time and hand wave the mission part away entirely. If anyone wants, I can write up the second half later.
pg 9 - Lunar Science as a Window into the Early History of the Solar System (i) a mission based around multiple penetrators for the characterisation of lunar polar volatiles and (ii) a sample return mission to address the lunar impact chronology and records of the near-Earth Solar System environment preserved in regolith deposits. (lander may include rover, and dark side mission) pg 20 - Exploring Planetary Origins and Environments in the Infrared Infrared Space Telescope at L2 or L4/5 with either a 5 m off-axis design, or distributed spatial interferometer array of smaller 1 m dishes. In both cases the goal is imaging spectroscopy at low/moderate (R~10^3) resolution over an arcmin FOV; and heterodyne-‐level resolution (R>10^6) in selected mid--IR and far--IR bands. pg 49 - In situ exploration of the giant planets and an entry probe concept for Saturn Atmospheric probe delivered by a carrier (carrier can be orbiter, flyby, or a dumb delivery vehicle) to Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune. Seems kind of vague to me -only the entry probe is thought out pg 69 - Neptune and Triton: Essential Pieces of the Solar System Puzzle Neptune Orbiter with multiple Triton passes. Mission components are based off previous designs (galileo and Cassini for orbiter, all instruments will be derived from pre-existing instruments on Mars Express, Cassini, JUICE, Rosetta, etc). Two planetary transfer examples are shown - 2028 launch, 2043 arrival and 2041 launch, 2056 arrival. pg 89 - Venus: Key to understanding the evolution of terrestrial planets we propose a strawman mission based on a combination of an in situ balloon platform, a radar-equipped orbiter, and (optionally) a descent probe pg 109 - INSIDER - Interior of Primordial Asteroids and the Origins of Earths Water Orbiter with lander, multiple asteroid targets for single mission pg 127 - In situ Investigations of the Local Interstellar Medium Nuclear powered interstellar probe. Goal is to get to 200 AU in 25-30 years, multiple possible propulsion systems (solar sail, nuclear-ion, etc) pg 147 - The Exploration of Titan with an Orbiter and a Lake-Probe Space-craft and lake-probe. Very few details on actual mission architecture, besides need for RTGs for lander. 2028-2034 launch. pg 167 - Astrometry for Dynamics A Gaia-like mission with improved onboard instruments/equipment (author apologizes for few details as he was on vacation when he received call for papers ) pg 175 - Europe returns to Venus Venusian UAV or Balloon mission with Orbiter pg 195 - Fundamental Processes in Solar Eruptive Events Space based observatory. Author proposes using updated SEE2020 concept with sample instruments listed pg 215 - European Ultraviolet-Visible Observatory: Building galaxies, stars, planets and the ingredients for life among the stars optical telescope with 4-8m depending on scope/cost, leveraging technology improvements since HST and larger mirror for all scenarios. pg 235 - The science goals and mission concept for a future exploration of Titan and Enceladus Saturn-Titan Orbiter and Titan Balloon - smaller scale then TSSM and no NASA partnership needed pg 255 - The Gravitational Universe 3 drag-free spacecraft forming a triangular constellation with arm lengths of one million km and laser interferometry between “free-falling” test masses. pg 275 - SOLARIS: SOLAR sail Investigation of the Sun Two solar sail craft with 35-50 kg of instruments each pg 283 - Science from the Farside of the Moon an instrumented relay satellite to be inserted into a halo orbit about the Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange point, and several identical spacecraft that make soft landings on the lunar surface. |
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Jul 10 2013, 07:16 PM
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#4
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Member Group: Members Posts: 124 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 291 |
Oh what the heck, here's the rest. Some very ambitious proposals here!
pg 303, Light from the Cosmic Frontier: Gamma-Ray Bursts[/b X-Ray and IR imager in one or two spacecraft [b]pg 323, Stellar Imager In French...but seems to require demonstration instruments on ground or in space working way up to space interferometer. pg 331, Chronos: A NIR Spectroscopic Galaxy Formation Survey a 2.5m space telescope at L2 optimised for a campaign of very deep NIR spectroscopy...the spectroscopic equivalent of a Hubble Space Telescope obtaining one Ultra Deep Field every fortnight for five years. pg 351, Exploring Habitable Worlds beyond our Solar System 2-3m telescope with coronograph or external occultor, or space based interferometer (exact tech to be explored over next decade) with launch in 2034. pg 371, Venus: A Natural Planetary Laboratory two orbiters, balloon/uav, and short lifespan landers pg 391, Space-Time Structure Explorer: Sub-microarcsecond astrometry for the 2030s Gaia follow on. pg 399 - DEX - Dark Ages eXplorer two options:a space‐based mission with swarms of nano-satellites as a giant interferometer and an inflatable space structure OR a lunar‐farside surface mission. Both require a 10 km^2 array size pg 419, Solar System Debris Disk - S2D2 Infrared survey telescope with a follow-on in-situ dust analyzer and dust collector sample return mission pg 439, PRISM: Polarized Radiation Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission 3.5 meter telescope at L2 - imager with spectrophotometer cooled to 4K. Will also include a small ancillary spacecraft for comms and calibration pg 459, Sub-arcsecond far-infrared space observatory: a science imperative 20 m(!) deployable telescope OR array of telescopes used as interferometer pg 479, The Case for an ESA L-Class Mission to Volatile-Rich Asteroids Flyby or landing on multiple asteroids. pg 499, The Science Case for an Orbital Mission to Uranus: Exploring the Origins and Evolution of Ice Giant Planets MEX/VEX/Rosetta heritage orbiter platform with atmospheric entry probe. 20 orbits with flybys of all major satellites. 10-15 year cruise phase. pg 519, Master: A Mission to Return a Sample from Mars to Earth Mars Orbiter with Earth return module (and reentry capsule) and Lander with two stage ascent vehicle. Goal is to return of 50 cm^3 solids, 1450 cm^3 atmosphere. 2028 launch, 2031 return. pg 539, Hypertelescope Optical Observatory 1 to 100km flotilla for direct images at microarc-second resolution on stars, exo-planets and deep fields. Flotilla of space telescopes arrayed from 100m^2 to 100km^2 long term. pg 549, The ODINUS Mission Concept – The Scientific Case for a Mission to the Ice Giant Planets with Twin spacecraft to Unveil the History of our Solar System Twin spacecraft launched in 2034 to orbit Uranus and Neptune respectively. 9-12 year cruise phase. More limited spacecraft, but won't need to wait 50(!) years to get orbiters around both planets and returning data. pg 569, The Hot and Energetic Universe Athena+ - X-ray telescope (3m diameter x 12m length) leveraging incremental advancements in technology since ATHENA mission first proposed for L1. |
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Jul 11 2013, 12:27 AM
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#5
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IMG to PNG GOD Group: Moderator Posts: 2250 Joined: 19-February 04 From: Near fire and ice Member No.: 38 |
My favorites: Anything involving Uranus and/or Neptune. There are a few such missions there but I haven't read the document yet so I can't pick any specific missions(s) from the lists above.
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Aug 27 2013, 03:19 AM
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#6
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Member Group: Members Posts: 202 Joined: 9-September 08 Member No.: 4334 |
When is a decision likely to be made?
Uranus/Neptune is cool (especially since I'm not old enough to have seen Voyager 2 at those planets) but "In situ Investigations of the Local Interstellar Medium" sounds really interesting, too. |
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Aug 28 2013, 07:27 AM
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#7
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Rover Driver Group: Members Posts: 1015 Joined: 4-March 04 Member No.: 47 |
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Aug 28 2013, 06:59 PM
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#8
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Member Group: Members Posts: 754 Joined: 9-February 07 Member No.: 1700 |
My favorite concept for an outer planet mission would still be a mother ship stocked with dozens or perhaps hundreds of mini-probes that can be dropped and return information to the mother ship in a style similar to the Huygens probe. Considering how long Cassini has lasted at Saturn, wouldn't it be great to drop or plop a little science package into the lakes of Titan over a span of many orbits!
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Aug 29 2013, 06:05 AM
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#9
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Member Group: Members Posts: 706 Joined: 22-April 05 Member No.: 351 |
When is a decision likely to be made? Decision expected by November for two concepts. Specific proposal for the first concept (to launch ~2028) will be next year. A European proposer told me that ESA picks concepts and then puts together the mission and science team, does the in-depth trade-off studies, technology development, followed by design, building, testing, launch, etc. This is different from NASA's Discovery and New Frontiers missions where the proposing team is ready to go at selection. This is why ESA is deciding now on missions for launch 12 and 18 years from now. The Large missions (previously called Cornerstones) are roughly balanced between astronomy/astrophysics and planetary missions. The last two selections (BepiColombo and JUICE) were both planetary, so astronomy/astrophysics concepts might be favored for these two selections. As for the planetary missions, my heart says an Ice Giant mission, but actuarial tables suggest I might be around to enjoy the results from a Venus mission. A 2034 launch to an Ice Giant would arrive in the mid 2040s if I remember correctly. -------------------- |
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Aug 30 2013, 01:54 AM
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#10
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Interplanetary Dumpster Diver Group: Admin Posts: 4404 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Powell, TN Member No.: 33 |
Depending on which launch, I'd be in my 50s/60s when a Uranus/Neptune mission arrived. I'll admit I'm hoping for it simply because I see that revisiting these worlds during my lifetime is slipping. However, the right Venus mission would also be appealing.
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Aug 30 2013, 06:44 AM
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#11
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
...you think that it's slipping for you?
Yeah. Please. Uranus or Neptune, or ideally both! -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Aug 30 2013, 09:05 PM
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#12
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10154 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
That's right, Ted! Spare a thought for us poor old guys who are already in our 50s and 60s... of course, the flip side of that is having seen people walk on the Moon on live TV. I guess you can't have everything.
Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PD: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
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Sep 3 2013, 10:50 PM
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#13
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Interplanetary Dumpster Diver Group: Admin Posts: 4404 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Powell, TN Member No.: 33 |
True, but for my "history" with space, Voyager at Neptune is a watershed. When, as a kid, I first took interest in space at the beginning of 1989, the major NASA mission that was active was Voyager approaching Neptune (along with Phobos-2 approaching and then at Mars, but we've seen lots of Mars before and since - Voyager at Neptune was the blockbuster). In many ways Voyager at Neptune, where I watched the pictures come down live until my parents made me go to bed (telling me I'd thank them someday - nope) is my Apollo 11.
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Oct 19 2013, 12:51 AM
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#14
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Member Group: Members Posts: 105 Joined: 27-August 05 Member No.: 479 |
I think that the ESA is doing their own decadel survey if perhaps informally, since we have JUICE expect an astronomy or cosmology mission to be picked next
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Nov 6 2013, 06:40 PM
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#15
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
not unexpectedly: X-rays top space agenda
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