Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Athul Pradeepkumar Girija
Summary: The study presents a conceptual design for a Flagship-class Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission using aerocapture. By considering various factors such as launch vehicle performance, interplanetary trajectory, and aerocapture vehicle design, the proposed mission concept enables a 10-year orbital mission at Uranus.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tomoaki Kimura, Motohiko Murakami
Summary: The non-dipolar magnetic fields at Uranus and Neptune may result from the unique geometry of their icy mantles, potentially stabilized by the presence of superionic H2O and NH3. Experimental measurements on NH3 show changes in its properties under specific conditions, suggesting potential implications for understanding the internal structure of these planets.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
P. G. J. Irwin, N. A. Teanby, L. N. Fletcher, D. Toledo, G. S. Orton, M. H. Wong, M. T. Roman, S. Perez-Hoyos, A. James, J. Dobinson
Summary: This article presents a reanalysis of visible/near-infrared observations of Uranus and Neptune, revealing a common model of the vertical aerosol distribution and providing a simulation of the spectral characteristics of dark spots.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Joao Coelho, Mario Lino da Silva
Summary: This study discusses the aerothermodynamic analysis of representative aerocapture and entry flows in Neptune, considering two different sphere-cone shapes. The solutions for chemically-reactive, nonequilibrium flowfields are computed, and the surface heat fluxes from convective and radiative heating are evaluated. It is found that the presence of trace amounts of CH4 in Neptune's atmosphere significantly enhances radiative heating, leading to a significant increase in the radiative heat fluxes. The post-shock flow features differ depending on the capsule shape, with more streamlined shapes being more aerodynamically stable.
ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anna Semerikova, Artem D. Chanyshev, Konstantin Glazyrin, Anna Pakhomova, Alexander Kurnosov, Konstantin Litasov, Leonid Dubrovinsky, Timofey Fedotenko, Egor Koemets, Sergey Rashchenko
Summary: The methane phase diagram is crucial for understanding the properties of Uranus and Neptune. Previous studies have suggested diamond formation from methane at high pressure and temperature, but the presence of metallic heat absorbers may have affected the results. This study used laser-heated diamond anvil cells with platinum and gold heat absorbers to investigate the effect on methane decomposition into diamond. Diamond formation was observed with a platinum heat absorber, but not with a gold heat absorber. This suggests a need to reconsider the hypothesis of diamond precipitation in the interiors of Uranus and Neptune, taking into account the reactivity of metallic heat absorbers in experimental observations.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Robotics
Ruoyu Feng, Yu Zhang, Jinyu Liu, Yonglong Zhang, Junfeng Li, Hexi Baoyin
Summary: This study discusses the use of soft robots for surface exploration of small celestial bodies in space, analyzing robot designs suitable for microgravity environments based on the features and challenges of celestial bodies. A new structure of soft robot is proposed, and dynamic simulations show its effectiveness in free-fall landings.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Alexander Petrovsky, Ivan Kalinov, Pavel Karpyshev, Dzmitry Tsetserukou, Anton Ivanov, Alessandro Golkar
Summary: This paper presents a concept of using a modular robotic swarm for Mars exploration and introduces the accompanying development methodology and evaluation metrics. Cooperative modular robotic solutions can improve key figures of merit in Mars exploration.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Alice Chau, Christian Reinhardt, Andre Izidoro, Joachim Stadel, Ravit Helled
Summary: While various scenarios have been proposed to explain the formation of Uranus and Neptune, the results in the current simulations show discrepancies with actual observations, indicating that this formation scenario still presents many challenges and requires further research.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Abigail M. Rymer, Kirby D. Runyon, Brenda Clyde, Jorge I. Nunez, Romina Nikoukar, Krista M. Soderlund, Kunio Sayanagi, Mark Hofstadter, Lynnae C. Quick, S. Alan Stern, Tracy Becker, Matthew Hedman, Ian Cohen, Frank Crary, Jonathan J. Fortney, Janet Vertesi, Candy Hansen, Imke de Pater, Carol Paty, Thomas Spilker, Tom Stallard, George B. Hospodarsky, H. Todd Smith, Hannah Wakeford, Sarah E. Moran, Andrew Annex, Paul Schenk, Martin Ozimek, Juan Arrieta, Ralph L. McNutt Jr, Adam Masters, Amy A. Simon, Susan Ensor, Clint T. Apland, Jonathan Bruzzi, D. Alex Patthoff, Christopher Scott, Christian Campo, Christopher Krupiarz, Corey J. Cochrane, Curt Gantz, Dan Rodriguez, Dan Gallagher, Dana Hurley, Doug Crowley, Elizabeth Abel, Elena Provornikova, Elizabeth P. Turtle, George Clark, Jacob Wilkes, Jack Hunt, James H. Roberts, Jeremy Rehm, Kelvin Murray, Larry Wolfarth, Leigh N. Fletcher, Linda Spilker, Emily S. Martin, Marzia Parisi, Mike Norkus, Noam Izenberg, Robert Stough, Ron J. Vervack Jr, Kathleen Mandt, Kevin B. Stevenson, Seth Kijewski, Weilun Cheng, Jay D. Feldman, Gary Allen, Dinesh Prabhu, Soumya Dutta, Cindy Young, Joseph Williams
Summary: The Neptune Odyssey mission is a Flagship-class orbiter and atmospheric probe designed to explore the Neptune-Triton system. This mission aims to study the planet, rings, moons, space environment, and moon Triton in detail, utilizing a spacecraft similar to the Cassini spacecraft for a 12-year or 16-year mission. The mission will provide valuable insights into Neptune and its unique system, ultimately concluding with a dramatic plunge into Neptune's atmosphere.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Michel Blanc, Kathleen Mandt, Olivier Mousis, Nicolas Andre, Alexis Bouquet, Sebastien Charnoz, Kathleen L. Craft, Magali Deleuil, Lea Griton, Ravit Helled, Ricardo Hueso, Laurent Lamy, Corentin Louis, Jonathan Lunine, Thomas Ronnet, Juergen Schmidt, Krista Soderlund, Diego Turrini, Elizabeth Turtle, Pierre Vernazza, Olivier Witasse
Summary: The comparative study of planetary systems can provide new scientific insights and help us understand the diversity and origins of planets, as well as search for habitable worlds and alien life. However, the lack of knowledge on the ice giant systems of Uranus and Neptune in our solar system limits the applicability of this approach. Developing a long-term plan for the exploration of these systems can address key scientific questions and potentially lead to the search for life on promising moons.
SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Benno A. Neuenschwander, Ravit Helled
Summary: This paper presents empirical structure models of Uranus and Neptune and predicts their rotation periods and wind depths by using higher order gravitational coefficients. The study finds that faster rotation and deep winds favor centrally concentrated density distributions. Accurate measurements of the gravity field and moment of inertia can constrain their internal structures and wind depths.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lorenzo Iorio, Athul Pradeepkumar Girija, Daniele Durante
Summary: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in sending a mission to Uranus, which has only been visited by Voyager 2 in 1986. The Elliptical Uranian Relativity Orbiter is investigating the possibility of measuring the planet's angular momentum by studying the Lense-Thirring effect on a potential orbiter. By choosing an appropriate orbital configuration, it is possible to separate the relativistic precessions from the classical rates induced by the planet's gravity field. The uncertainties in the orientation of the planetary spin axis and the inclination are the main sources of systematic bias and need to be determined accurately.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Siyuan Zhao, Yuqi Qian, Long Xiao, Jiannan Zhao, Qi He, Jun Huang, Jiang Wang, Hui Chen, Weiyang Xu
Summary: Mare Fecunditatis is a large flat basalt plain on the Moon, containing a variety of volcanic, tectonic, and impact-related features. A mission to this area would be scientifically significant in understanding the lunar history and other questions. With potential long-distance movement on the lunar surface in the future, it would provide opportunities to explore multiple sites and document the regional geology.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Archit Arora, Sarag J. Saikia, Thomas R. Spilker, Robert A. Dillman, Angela Bowes, Stephen J. Horan, David H. Atkinson, Kunio M. Sayanagi
Summary: Research focused on delivering multiple atmospheric probes to Uranus explores different mission architecture options, developing a methodology for integrating the design elements for each architecture and comparing the impact of different architectures on the baseline mission to enhance scientific returns.
JOURNAL OF SPACECRAFT AND ROCKETS
(2021)
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ian J. Cohen, Evan J. Smith, George B. Clark, Drew L. Turner, Donald H. Ellison, Ben Clare, Leonardo H. Regoli, Peter Kollmann, Daniel T. Gallagher, G. Allan Holtzman, Justin J. Likar, Takeshi Morizono, Matthew Shannon, Kimberly S. Vodusek
Summary: The PERSEUS mission concept aims to study multiple space physics science objectives at Uranus through a dedicated Heliophysics orbiter mission. Uranus's complex and dynamic magnetosphere provides a unique laboratory to study magnetospheric physics and its interactions with the solar wind, planet's atmosphere, satellites, and rings.
SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Julianne Moses, Zarah L. Brown, Tommi T. Koskinen, Leigh N. Fletcher, Joseph Serigano, Sandrine Guerlet, Luke Moore, J. Hunter Waite, Lotfi Ben-Jaffel, Marina Galand, Joshua M. Chadney, Sarah M. Horst, James A. Sinclair, Veronique Vuitton, Ingo Muller-Wodarg
Summary: During the Grand Finale stage of the Cassini mission, researchers discovered the flow of organic-rich ring material into Saturn's equatorial upper atmosphere. Through photochemical models, they studied the impact of this material on the composition of Saturn's atmosphere. However, observations did not confirm the predicted chemical consequences, leading to the conclusion that the ring influx may have been a transient event triggered by a recent dynamical event or that the material entered the atmosphere in the form of small dust particles.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
A. Praet, G. Poggiali, M. A. Barucci, B. E. Clark, X-D Zou, A. A. Simon, H. H. Kaplan, J-Y Li, C. Alcaria
Summary: The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully sampled and stored the surface of asteroid Bennu. The sampling maneuver altered the morphology of the sampling site, providing an opportunity to study the subsurface of Bennu in detail. Analysis of the infrared spectrum showed no significant variations in the near-infrared bands, but the sampling site appeared redder and possible modifications were observed in the hydrated band.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Michael Khan, Olivier Witasse, Waldemar Martens, Arnaud Boutonnet
Summary: The NASA mission Lucy, launched in 2021, will flyby several Jupiter Trojan asteroids. The next step is to design a mission with a close orbiter and/or lander for in situ science at specific Trojans. This paper presents a feasible design for such a mission to the largest Jupiter Trojan, 624 Hektor, and finds that the suggested principle can be applied to other target Trojans as well.
PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Maria Paz Zorzano, Karen Olsson-Francis, Peter T. Doran, Petra Rettberg, Athena Coustenis, Vyacheslav Ilyin, Francois Raulin, Omar Al Shehhi, Frank Groen, Olivier Grasset, Akiko Nakamura, Olga Prieto Ballesteros, Silvio Sinibaldi, Yohey Suzuki, Praveen Kumar, Gerhard Kminek, Niklas Hedman, Masaki Fujimoto, Maxim Zaitsev, Alex Hayes, Jing Peng, Eleonora Ammannito, Christian Mustin, Kanyan Xu
Summary: According to COSPAR's Planetary Protection Policy, all missions to Venus are classified as Category II. These missions require simplified planetary protection documentation, and there is only a remote chance of terrestrial contamination compromising future investigations. Several international missions, such as NASA's VERITAS and DAVINCI missions, are planned for the exploration of Venus, along with proposed missions from India and Russia. Recent scientific interest in the habitability of Venusian clouds has led to the MIT/Rocket Lab Venus Life Finder mission, which aims to assess the habitability and search for signs of life in the Venusian clouds.
LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
James S. D. Blake, L. N. Fletcher, G. S. Orton, A. Antunano, M. T. Roman, Y. Kasaba, T. Fujiyoshi, H. Melin, D. Bardet, J. A. Sinclair, M. Es-Sayeh
Summary: Ground-based mid-infrared images of Saturn over a multi-decade period reveal seasonal and non-seasonal variability in thermal emission. 8-m class observatories can resolve thermal contrasts on various scales and confirm the consistency of Saturn's thermal structure from year to year. However, inter-annual variations are observed in the equatorial banding, suggesting the influence of tropospheric meteorology.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
G. J. Molina-Cuberos, O. Witasse, D. Toledo, S. N. Tripathi
Summary: Studying the atmospheric electricity of ice giant planets can help us understand cloud formation, lightning generation, aerosols growth, and chemical composition. This study presents a new one-dimensional ionospheric model for Uranus and Neptune, which calculates the number densities of electrons and ions as well as the charging of aerosols. The results depend on the amount and size of atmospheric aerosols, solar-cycle conditions, and the effect of the intrinsic magnetic field.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Athena Coustenis, Niklas Hedman, Peter T. Doran, Omar Al Shehhi, Eleonora Ammannito, Masaki Fujimoto, Olivier Grasset, Frank Groen, Alex Hayes, Vyacheslav Ilyin, K. Praveen Kumar, Caroline-Emmanuelle Morisset, Christian Mustin, Karen Olsson-Francis, Jing Peng, Olga Prieto Ballesteros, Francois Raulin, Petra Rettberg, Silvio Sinibaldi, Yohey Suzuki, Kanyan Xu, Maxim Zaitsev
Summary: Planetary protection is crucial for ensuring scientific exploration and preventing contamination between celestial bodies. The COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy provides guidelines for compliance with the Outer Space Treaty, and is regularly updated based on scientific knowledge and developments in space exploration. Representatives from national space agencies and experts from the science community are responsible for maintaining and updating the policy.
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Leigh N. Fletcher, Thibault Cavalie, Davide Grassi, Ricardo Hueso, Luisa M. Lara, Yohai Kaspi, Eli Galanti, Thomas K. Greathouse, Philippa M. Molyneux, Marina Galand, Claire Vallat, Olivier Witasse, Rosario Lorente, Paul Hartogh, Francois Poulet, Yves Langevin, Pasquale Palumbo, G. Randall Gladstone, Kurt D. Retherford, Michele K. Dougherty, Jan-Erik Wahlund, Stas Barabash, Luciano Iess, Lorenzo Bruzzone, Hauke Hussmann, Leonid I. Gurvits, Ondrej Santolik, Ivana Kolmasova, Georg Fischer, Ingo Mueller-Wodarg, Giuseppe Piccioni, Thierry Fouchet, Jean-Claude Gerard, Agustin Sanchez-Lavega, Patrick G. J. Irwin, Denis Grodent, Francesca Altieri, Alessandro Mura, Pierre Drossart, Josh Kammer, Rohini Giles, Stephanie Cazaux, Geraint Jones, Maria Smirnova, Emmanuel Lellouch, Alexander S. Medvedev, Raphael Moreno, Ladislav Rezac, Athena Coustenis, Marc Costa
Summary: ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will conduct a detailed investigation of the Jovian system in the 2030s, utilizing state-of-the-art instruments and a tailored orbital tour. The mission aims to gather information on the climate, meteorology, and chemistry of Jupiter's atmosphere and auroras, as well as studying phenomena on various timescales. The remote sensing payload includes spectroscopy, imaging, and sounding techniques, allowing for a comprehensive characterization of the planet's atmosphere and auroras.
SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Arjuna James, Patrick G. J. Irwin, Jack Dobinson, Michael H. Wong, Troy K. Tsubota, Amy A. Simon, Leigh N. Fletcher, Michael T. Roman, Nick A. Teanby, Daniel Toledo, Glenn S. Orton
Summary: Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope confirm the brightening of Uranus' north polar hood over time. The brightening is mainly attributed to changes in the aerosol scattering properties, particularly the thickening and increased reflectivity of the 1-2 bar haze layer.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samantha K. K. Trumbo, Michael E. E. Brown, Dominique Bockelee-Morvan, Imke de Pater, Thierry Fouchet, Michael H. H. Wong, Stephanie Cazaux, Leigh N. Fletcher, Katherine de Kleer, Emmanuel Lellouch, Alessandro Mura, Olivier Poch, Eric Quirico, Pablo Rodriguez-Ovalle, Mark R. R. Showalter, Matthew S. S. Tiscareno, Federico Tosi
Summary: Ganymede, the only satellite with an intrinsic magnetic field, experiences interactions with the Jovian magnetosphere, resulting in the accumulation of charged particles in its polar regions. Observations with JWST have revealed the presence of hydrogen peroxide, a product of radiolysis, at high latitudes, indicating the modification of polar caps by precipitation of Jovian charged particles along partially open field lines within Ganymede's magnetosphere. This discovery, along with the contrasting distribution of hydrogen peroxide on Europa, has important implications for understanding water-ice radiolysis in the solar system.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ricardo Hueso, Agustin Sanchez-Lavega, Thierry Fouchet, Imke de Pater, Arrate Antunano, Leigh N. Fletcher, Michael H. Wong, Pablo Rodriguez-Ovalle, Lawrence A. Sromovsky, Patrick M. Fry, Glenn S. Orton, Sandrine Guerlet, Patrick G. J. Irwin, Emmanuel Lellouch, Jake Harkett, Katherine de Kleer, Henrik Melin, Vincent Hue, Amy A. Simon, Statia Luszcz-Cook, Kunio M. Sayanagi
Summary: Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal the presence of a strong equatorial jet in Jupiter's atmosphere, with a velocity of 140 m/s and confined within +/- 3 degrees of the equator.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Daniella N. Dellagiustina, Michael C. Nolan, Anjani T. Polit, Michael C. Moreau, Dathon R. Golish, Amy A. Simon, Coralie D. Adam, Peter G. Antreasian, Ronald-Louis Ballouz, Olivier S. Barnouin, Kris J. Becker, Carina A. Bennett, Richard P. Binzel, Brent J. Bos, Richard Burns, Nayessda Castro, Steven R. Chesley, Philip R. Christensen, M. Katherine Crombie, Michael G. Daly, R. Terik Daly, Heather L. Enos, Davide Farnocchia, Sandra Freund Kasper, Rose Garcia, Kenneth M. Getzandanner, Scott D. Guzewich, Christopher W. Haberle, Timothy Haltigin, Victoria E. Hamilton, Karl Harshman, Noble Hatten, Kyle M. Hughes, Erica R. Jawin, Hannah H. Kaplan, Dante S. Lauretta, Jason M. Leonard, Andrew H. Levine, Andrew J. Liounis, Christian W. May, Laura C. Mayorga, Lillian Nguyen, Lynnae C. Quick, Dennis C. Reuter, Bashar Rizk, Heather L. Roper, Andrew J. Ryan, Brian Sutter, Mathilde M. Westermann, Daniel R. Wibben, Bobby G. Williams, Kenneth Williams, C. W. V. Wolner
Summary: The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft mission collected a sample from asteroid Bennu and will divert to encounter asteroid Apophis in a second mission called APEX. This close encounter with Apophis in 2029 will be the largest object to approach Earth in recorded history and may alter its orbit and structure. APEX will observe and record the consequences of tidal disturbance on the asteroid, providing high-resolution data and insights into stony asteroids.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Christopher R. Webster, Amy E. Hofmann, Paul R. Mahaffy, Sushil K. Atreya, Christopher H. House, Amy A. Simon, James B. Garvin
Summary: Distinguishing planetary formation and evolution pathways and understanding the origins of volatiles on planetary bodies can be achieved by accurately measuring the relative abundances and isotope ratios in noble gases, as well as the isotope ratios in C, H, N, O and S. Traditional planetary mass spectrometers provide excellent survey capability, while tunable laser spectrometers (TLS) can achieve high precision measurements of isotope ratios in C and O to distinguish planetary evolution models. TLS instruments are capable of detecting a wide variety of gases at parts-per-billion levels and can achieve isotope ratio measurements at precisions of similar to 1-2 parts per thousand for C, H, N, O and S molecules.
SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
P. G. J. Irwin, J. Dobinson, A. James, M. H. Wong, L. N. Fletcher, M. T. Roman, N. A. Teanby, D. Toledo, G. S. Orton, S. Perez-Hoyos, A. Sanchez-Lavega, A. Simon, R. Morales-Juberias, I. de Pater
Summary: Spectral observations of Neptune in 2019 reveal spatial variations in aerosol scattering properties and methane abundance in the planet's atmosphere. The darkening of certain features in the atmosphere is due to spectrally dependent darkening of particles in a deep aerosol layer, while bright zones at longer wavelengths are attributed to brightening of particles in the same aerosol layer. The properties of an upper methane/haze aerosol layer remain constant with latitude, and variations in an upper tropospheric haze layer account for changes in reflectivity at methane-absorbing wavelengths.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
