Ice  Giant    Mission  Study  Overview  

12  November  2015  DPS,  Na?onal  Harbor  Maryland  

 

Mark  Hofstadter,  JPL/Caltech  Amy  Simon,  Goddard  

Ground-­‐Based  Image  of  Uranus.  Sromovsky  et  al.  2012  

Neptune  and  Triton  from  Voyager  

Goal: Assess science priorities and affordable mission concepts & options in preparation for the next Decadal Survey. Objective: Identify mission concepts that can address science priorities based on what has been learned since the 2013-2022 Decadal.

Purpose

•  Address both Uranus and Neptune Missions. •  Cost $1B- $2B (FY15$). •  Focus on launch dates from 2023 to 2032. •  Technical aspects to investigate:

•  Determine pros/cons in using one spacecraft design for both planets (possibility of joint development of two copies).

•  Evaluate use of realistic emerging enabling technologies. •  Constrain missions to fit on a commercial LV. •  Identify benefits/cost savings if SLS were available.

•  Identify clean-interface roles for potential international partnerships. •  Establish a Science Definition Team (SDT).

Some of the Ground-Rules

This is a one-year effort.

•  Preliminary work has begun at JPL: Review of previous studies, trajectory work, assessment of new technologies.

•  Formation of Science Definition Team imminent. -  Call for letters of application to be issued via NSPIRES.

•  Target dates. -  January: SDT provides science goals; A-Team Study. -  March-May: ~4 Team-X studies. -  August: Draft final report ready for review. -  September: Final report to NASA released.

•  Community interactions at OPAG, LPSC, EGU. Public documents available on-line.

Activities/Schedule