New Frontiers in the Solar System An Integrated Exploration Strategy (2003) / Chapter Skim
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6 Solar System Exploration Today: A Multifaceted Endeavor
6 Solar System Exploration Today: A Multifaceted Endeavor
Pages 153-174
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From page 153... ...
Plenary md satellite surfaces record ancient histories of violent impacts' volemie eruptions, perusal tectonics, md fluid erosion. Planets rings continually Tahoe' active geology is ~ work on He solid bodies in He outer solar system' md Titans Ionosphere support ongoing organic Nemesis.
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From page 154... ...
To underfed our begir~E~ings, we must examine samples from the solar systems oldest md mod primitive bodies: domed md asteroids. These issues concerning our place in the cosmos derive from Free of Me mod profound questions ~~ em be posed about the humm condition: Are we alone: Where do we come from: What is our destiny: These deceptively simple questions have motivated ~ broad range of humm endeavors, including exploration of scientific subjects as diverse as cosmology md biology.
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From page 155... ...
To learn ~e reasons for Base differences is ~ Entrap motiv~ionfor ~e SSE Surveys support of ~ vigorous Mars program arid of in situ investigations of Venus. In the lamer case, temperatures vastly higher chart those on Earth result from ~ runaway greenhouse effect of ~ magnitude seemingly incommensurate win Venus,~ slightly smaller orbital radius.
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From page 156... ...
The objectives of solar system exploration' ~en, become these: ~ Determine if environment capable of sustaining life exist or have ever existed beyond Earth' what parameters constrain id occurrence' how life developed in the solar system' whether life exists or may have existed beyond Earth md in what ways life modifies planets environments; ~ Understand how physical md chemical processes determine He main eharae~risties of solar system bodies md Heir environments' thereby illuminating the workings of Earn; Learn how He Surfs retinue of planets md minor bodies originated md evolved; Explore the terrestrial space environment to disc over what potential h=ards to Earth may exist; md ~ Discover how the simple' basic laws of physics md ehemis~y em lead to He diverse phenomena observed in complex systems. In the early years of NASA's Solar System Exploration program, especially during the period surrounding He Apollo explorations of the Moon' space policy was dominated by political goals: for example, PresidentKermedy~s decision to place ~ humm on the Moon by He end of He I960s.
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From page 157... ...
It provides guidance for mission design md ~ framework for interpreting new discoveries. Originally concerned with ea~loging observations of phenomena ~~ might be characteristic of life found in regions beyond Earthts atmospheres astrobiologist now study all processes thy are associated with the formation' population' md extinction of habitable worlds.~°~i ~ The intellectual goals of this scientific discipline embrace Tree questions: How does life begin md develop: Does life exist elsewhere in the universe: What is the future of life on Earn md beyond: Astrobiology~s multidisciplinary Trust provides ~ integrating theme, bringing together ~ subs~tia1 fraction of the issues in solar system exploration under the common Tread of understanding plme~ry habitability.
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From page 158... ...
Astrobiology also has some priorities ~~ are intimately cor~r~d to arid rely on perry exploration. Scientific objectives mentioned lair in this survey of solar system exploration thy directly address key questions in astrobiology include the following: ~rmination of the composition, abundance, md distribution of orgar~ic materials in ~e solar system; ~ Exploration of both the politic occurs where life might emerge arid ~e radiation environment ~ ~e surface arid near-surface regions of Europa arid the over Galilear~ sa~lli~s; ~ Detailed de~rmin~ion of the elemental' chemical, isotopic, md miner~ogica1 composition of the surfaces arid upper Grubs of planets arid sa~lli~s (including Mars' outer solar system sullies' arid icy objected; ~ Investigation of the nature of atmospheric evolution arid geochemistry on Venus arid Mars relative to thy on Earn in order to understand the po~tia1 for perry evolution into habitable versus shrill worlds; ~ Description of ~e detailed history of impactors arid their po~ntia1 influence on ~e evolution of ~rres~ia1 biospheres; md ~ Further exploration of Mars, including ~ deviled search for subsurface liquid wear md possible groundice inventories, full determination of surface mineralogy' md assessment of possible spatial md ~mpora1 juxtaposition of liquid wear md sources of energy that could support life.
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From page 159... ...
To identify the most import=" discoveries of the past decade, ~e SSE Surveys Sharing Group relied upon community input to in parcels (~e Part One) , along win independent surveys of the scientific community arid ~e public (see Appendixes ~ arid D)
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From page 160... ...
In situ investigations for water md evidence of pad or present life should also be eondue~d. Aeeeptmee of the possibility of extraterrestrial life has progressed markedly during the past decade.
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From page 161... ...
THE RELATIONSHIP OF SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION TO SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES The success of ~ solar system exploration mission relies crucially on the well-being of ~ wide rage of scientific investigations arid effective engineering To ~ of value' missions nof only must reach their Urged quickly arid win adequate power arid stability, but also must produce signif`~ar~t scientific dam thy address ~e scientific goals fond previously. Scientific investigations are usually drawn from various established disciplines' including perry science' geophysics' geology' atmospheric physics' cosmochemistry, fluid mechanics' me~oritics, space plasma physics, astrobiology' arid aeronomy to name but ~ few.
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From page 162... ...
Hence ~e science md observational techniques developed in OES are vital for the continuing development of perry science arid observations. The major Crust in OES is the Global Charge program, from which plenary science will gain ~ understanding of Earth as ~ ~rreshia1 planet among the four inner ply md will obtain dam esmntia1 to understanding the origin arid evolution of ~ ~rres~ia1 perry biosphere.
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From page 163... ...
A prime lesson from recent humeri exploration activities is thy prior plarming by scimlis~ might preclude Shown wedding,' sometime in ~e future. ISSUES llEGAllDING THE INFRASTllUCTUllE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION PllOGlIAM It is far beyond ~e scope of this survey to give art exhau dice ar~alysis of the current performers of the entire scientific arid programmatic ir~frashucture of U.S.
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From page 164... ...
Previous NRC studies have shown ~~, Mar ~ serious decline in the early to mid-~9Os,~ ~e overall funding for R&A programs in NASA's Office of Space Science has, in recent years' climbed to approximately 20 percent of ~e overall flight-mission budget. Figures supplied by NASAL Solar System Exploration program show thy the corresponding value for perry activities is closer to 25 percent arid is projected to Day ~ about this 1~1 for the next several years.
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From page 165... ...
This is ~ major deficiency' since ~ large-aperture survey telescope will be essential to support the flight-mission strategy (for example, by selecting md characterizing key targets of the mission) developed in Chapter 8' where the SSE Survey makes ~ strong related recommendation.
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From page 166... ...
The Survey prefers to rely on He Discovery md' where appropriate' the Explorer lines to general appropriate e~dida~s. It is noted' however' that using Earth-orhiting facilities for planetary oh~ervations impm~ special Unstrung notably the need to tram fling target and the SSE Survey endorses the incorporation of this technically difficult hut essential ~pahility on ~11 relevant tronomi~l teletypes.
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From page 167... ...
Enhar~emen~ to either the POS or mission budged would enable dam archiving The SSE Survey strongly encourages exploration of ways to accomplish the following+ Improve the early involvement of the PUS with missions, Inere~e the PUS budget anal streamline id pr~ures, while not lowering standards or eliminating peer reviews' in order to deal with the Ott' perhaps considering the function to he funded at n fixed fraction' such ~ 1 percent of the minion development and operations budget in addition to n small hue budget' to ensure that the PDS On cope with varying amounts of Forgiving' and ~ Ensum that missions ~ well ~ 11&A projects producing large Ton hem have ndeqante funding for ~ + + proper nrenl~ng+ DATA-ANALYSIS PllOGlIAMS A crucial task in ceding scientific value from solar system exploration missions is to properly org~ize md adequately fund strong d~-~alysis programs ~APs)
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From page 168... ...
Ads HEW FR0~ IN =E SOLAR MOM FIGURE b. ~ A closeup image of ~e nucleus of Ant 19P~orrelly obeying by ~e D=p Spat ~ spacecraft.
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From page 169... ...
SAMPLE-llETl3RN FACILITIES As part of NASA,s Solar System Exploration program' samples will be returned from extr~errestria1 bodies. Sample-return missions already under way include Be S~rdust md Genesis missions of NASA md the MUSES-C mission of Jacobs Institute of Space md Ashonautiea1 Sciences (ISAS)
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From page 170... ...
The NRC has recommended thy ~ advisory commi~e oversee ~e design arid construction of the MQF arid ~~ this group "will be ultimately responsible for ~e disposition arid handling of samples in the MQF until Hey are judged to ~ safe for release.~32 This committee should also be cognizant of ~e processes for collecting ~e samples on hears md for allotting the samples for scientific study once Hey are released to the Mars Curatorial Facility. The SSE Survey endorses the Unkept that ~ single advisory structure supervise ~11 mpecis of resumed Mars sample ~lle~ion' containment' ~ara~eri~tion and hamrd =sessment' and allocation.
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From page 171... ...
The SSE Survey recommend that NASA establish' well before samples are resumed from planetary missions' ~ s~nple-retum pogrom to address an~lytiml and facility issues and the training of researchers in an integrated manner. Such ~ program will allow few on the optimization of science and technology repours=.
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From page 172... ...
For example' in He year 2000, some 614 evens for educators were held across solar system exploration activities arid involved more ~m 42~000 attendees; in addition' more than 600 public events were held, reaching more than 662~000 participant. Concurrently, 85 permanent museum exhibits were supported' md ~ ~ traveling exhibits involving solar system exploration were developed.
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From page 173... ...
3. Board ore Physics Ad Astronomy Ad Spay Studies Board' N~ior~1 Research Councils Astronomy a~Astroph~ t~ ~e New Mod N~iorlal Academy Press' W:~shirl~orl' Deem.> 2001' p.
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From page 174... ...
17. Aeror~autics md Spam Er~gir~er~g Board Ad Spam Studies Boards N~ior~1 Research Councils safe on Apart> N~ior~1 Academy Press' Washir~or~' D.O .' 2002.
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