Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p12a..04s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P12A-04
Other
[5704] Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets / Atmospheres, [5709] Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets / Composition, [5739] Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets / Meteorology, [5794] Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets / Instruments And Techniques
Scientific paper
A single planet cannot be understood in isolation. Comparative studies of gas and ice giant planets' atmospheres are needed to understand the origin and evolution of the solar system and the giant planets, formation of giant planet atmospheres, and to provide a valuable link to extrasolar planets. Giant planets' tropospheres and interiors contain material from the epoch of solar system formation. Some of these materials are expected to be unprocessed and thus would reflect the protosolar nebula's composition at the time and location of each planet's formation. Other materials will have been extensively processed, reflecting a planet's evolutionary processes. Beginning with the Pioneer and Voyager flybys, space flight missions began assembling data sets needed for these comparisons. The Galileo orbiter and probe mission provided both remote sensing and the first in situ studies of Jupiter's atmosphere. Comparable understanding of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune would provide an important comparative planetology context for the Galileo Jupiter results. The Cassini orbiter continues to yield a wealth of discoveries about Saturn's atmosphere from its remote sensing measurements, and its "Proximal Orbits" (2016 and 2017) will provide knowledge of Saturn's internal structure to complement the Juno mission's measurements at Jupiter. A Saturn entry probe mission, to complement the Galileo Probe investigations at Jupiter, would complete a solid basis for improved understanding of both Jupiter and Saturn, and an important stepping stone to understanding Uranus and Neptune, and the formation and evolution of the solar system. The draft "2012 Planetary Science Decadal Survey" (PSDS), released in March 2011, supports the high priority of a Saturn entry probe mission, recommending its addition to NASA's New Frontiers Program. It lists two levels of science objectives: Tier 1, highest-priority objectives that any New Frontiers implementation must achieve; and Tier 2, high priorities but somewhat lower than the Tier 1 objectives. Tier 1 focuses on Saturn's composition, with specific measurements to be described in the presentation, and thermal structure. Tier 2 objectives will also be listed in the presentation, along with payload options for the Tier 1 objectives. Leveraging the Cassini-Huygens mission's successful international collaborations, Tier 2 science objectives offer opportunities for significant enhancement of a Saturn probe mission's science return, and opportunities for international collaboration. To enhance the competitiveness of a NASA New Frontiers mission concept a prospective Principal Investigator could use Tier 2 objectives to customize the mission for the proper balance of science return, science team composition, resource needs, and procured or contributed instruments. Contributed instruments could be a significant factor in such a mission, since they can result in a more capable payload and a larger science team with broader expertise, and thus significantly enhanced science return. This paper will discuss the PSDS recommendations regarding a Saturn probe mission for NASA's New Frontiers program, and planetary and solar system science to be achieved.
Atkinson David H.
Atreya Sushil K.
Colaprete Anthony
Spilker Linda J.
Spilker Thomas Richard
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