THE JOINT ESA-NASA EUROPA JUPITER SYSTEM MISSION (EJSM)

Details THE JOINT ESA-NASA EUROPA JUPITER SYSTEM MISSION (EJSM) THE JOINT ESA-NASA EUROPA JUPITER SYSTEM MISSION (EJSM)

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p51e1178l&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P51E-1178

Physics

[6220] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Jupiter, [6221] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Europa, [6222] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Ganymede

Scientific paper

The joint "Europa Jupiter System Mission" (EJSM) is an international mission under study in collaboration between NASA and ESA. Its goal is to study Jupiter and its magnetosphere, the diversity of the Galilean satellites, the physical characteristics, composition and geology of their surfaces. Europa and Ganymede are two primary targets of the mission. The reference mission architecture consists of the NASA-led Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) and the ESA-led Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO). The two primary goals of the mission are i) to determine whether the Jupiter system harbors habitable worlds and ii) to characterize the processes within the Jupiter system. The science objectives addressing the first goal are to: i) characterize and determine the extent of subsurface oceans and their relations to the deeper interior, ii) characterize the ice shells and any subsurface water, including the heterogeneity of the ice, and the nature of surface-ice-ocean exchange; iii) characterize the deep internal structure, differentiation history, and (for Ganymede) the intrinsic magnetic field; iv) compare the exospheres, plasma environments, and magnetospheric interactions; v) determine global surface composition and chemistry, especially as related to habitability; vi) understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent or current activity, and identify and characterize candidate sites for future in situ exploration. The science objectives for addressing the second goal are to: i) understand the Jovian satellite system, especially as context for Europa and Ganymede; ii) evaluate the structure and dynamics of the Jovian atmosphere; iii) characterize processes of the Jovian magnetodisk/magnetosphere; iv) determine the interactions occurring in the Jovian system; and v) constrain models for the origin of the Jupiter system. Both spacecraft would carry a complement of 11-12 instruments launch separately in 2020 and use a Venus-Earth-Earth Gravity Assist (VEEGA) trajectory to reach Jupiter in 2026. After orbit insertion, each would perform a multi-year tour of the Jovian system. The tours would include i) multiple flybys of Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, ii) continuous magnetospheric monitoring, and iii) regular monitoring of Io and Jupiter’s atmosphere and Jupiter’s ring system. JEO’s Europa orbital phase would start on a circular 200 km altitude around Europa at 90°-100° inclination for about one month before transferring to a 100 km orbit. JGO’s Ganymede orbital phase would start on an elliptical orbit 200 x 10000 km at 86° inclination for about 2-3 months and later transfer to a 200 km circular orbit. JEO would eventually impact Europa and JGO Ganymede, bringing the joint mission to a close.

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