Uranus Orbiter, The other proposed ice-giant mission Options

[Rob Pinnegar]

Since the Neptune Orbiter thread has started to veer into talking about a Uranus orbiter as well, it seemed like a good idea to start a topic for Uranus.

[tasp]

I admit a keen interest in Uranus. The mass ratios of the larger satellites to Uranus are not all that different from the Galilean satellites to Jupiter. Having two systems so grossly similar , yet with such huge differences, such as the axial tilt and the strength of the magnetic field, are so intriuging.

Would Hubble (or some of the larger ground based installations) be put to good use checking for co-orbital lagrangian moons of the larger satellites? I recall Voyager doing a thorough search closer in to the planet, but could small dark co-orbitals at Titania and Oberon have been missed?

That Jupiter seems to not have them, and Saturn having a few, it makes me all the more curious for a good inspection of Uranus to see where it stands regarding Lagrangian objects.

Finding some at Uranus might bump up the level of scrutiny Cassini is giving them at Dione and Tethys.

[Rob Pinnegar]

Would Hubble (or some of the larger ground based installations) be put to good use checking for co-orbital lagrangian moons of the larger satellites?  I recall Voyager doing a thorough search closer in to the planet, but could small dark co-orbitals at Titania and Oberon have been missed?

The four big Uranian moons are at about the same distance from Uranus as Tethys, Dione and Rhea are from Saturn. They also have similar masses. That being the case, you'd think that there would be at least one Lagrangian satellite somewhere in the Uranian system.

I wonder if the lack of co-orbital satellites for Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon has to do with Uranus itself, rather than the major moons? Uranus only has about 15% of Saturn's mass. Could this cause Lagrangian orbits to be less stable at Uranus?

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

The four big Uranian moons are at about the same distance from Uranus as Tethys, Dione and Rhea are from Saturn. They also have similar masses.

Interestingly, a stronger comparison exists between Uranus and Jupiter, namely that both planets have similar planet/satellite mass ratios. In fact, in 2003 Andy Heaton and Jim Longuski published a paper showing that a Galileo-style tour is, unlike at Saturn and Neptune, possible at Uranus:

Feasibility of a Galileo-Style Tour of the Uranian Satellites
Andrew F. Heaton and James M. Longuski
J. Spacecraft Rockets 40, 591-596 (2003).
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