Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
study Saturn's auroral zones and equatorial X-ray emission among other
scientific objectives.
3. Related Mission Plans
The above wish list contains a number of mission components which could
be integrated into one single project or divided into several different projects
based on the considerations of cost-effectiveness, technological, and pro-
grammatic constraints. For example, the Saturn atmospheric probe could
be one element of the multi-probe mission to outer planets under study by
NASA. The Phoebe Rover and Ring Hopper/Smasher could be included
into one single mission. Even though the outer solar system beyond the orbit
of Mars is still to be penetrated by Asian space agencies, we have learned
from reports in recent scientific meetings that both Japan and China have
initiated planning activity in this direction. For example, ISAS/JAXA is
investigating the application of the solar sail technique to a Jupiter Orbiter
mission, and CSSAR is exploring the feasibility of a solar polar observatory
via a Jupiter flyby. It is therefore, hopeful that more and more scientists and
engineers in these countries will soon focus their attention to the Saturnian
system — because of the many exciting results from the Cassini mission.
Indeed, there are likely to be a number of new mission plans to Titan in
the next few years making the Saturnian system in future a place just as
busy as the Wang-Fu-Jeng district in Beijing.
4. Discussion
It has been said that the initial diculty with the Cassini proposal — when
it was first conceived in 1982 — was that the proposers had to convince
senior colleagues (20 years older in age, say) about the scientific impor-
tance of the mission. It is now our turn to convince junior colleagues who
are 20 years younger about the scientific significance of the SAPPORO mis-
sion in 2025. The situation is in fact far better than it sounds. This is partly
because several major Asian countries are beginning to enter the field of
planetary exploration following the footsteps of NASA, ESA, and JAXA.
The Chinese Chang-e mission and the Indian Chandrayaan-1 mission to
the Moon are only the forerunners. We expect great leaps forward in plan-
etary science in Asia which also happens to be the new powerhouse of the
world economy. It is hard to escape the impression that there will soon
be emerging interests in planetary atmospheres, planetary aeronomy and
