Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.
Listing of mission elements.
Mission element
Scientific objectives
Technical study requirements
A
Saturn atmosphere
probe
Atmospheric elemental
and isotopic
abundances
Entry probe and telemetric relay
A'
Polar orbiter and
microwave sounder
Atmospheric
composition and
structure
Trajectory design and ring dust
hazard mitigation
B
Titan orbiter
Titan atmosphere,
surface, and internal
structure
Possible balloon or roving
platforms
B'
Enceladus lander
Surface properties and
search for biomarkers
Rover system
C
Phoebe rover
Surface properties and
subsurface structure
Roverorpenetratorsystem
C'
Iapetus rover
Surface properties and
subsurface structure
Roverorpenetratorsystem
D
Ring hopper
Ring particle structure
and dynamics
Hopper (or multi-hopper)
system
Note that we have not specifically included a post-Cassini-Huygens mission dedicated
to Titan into our general consideration here for the simple reason that the scientific
community involved in this ongoing NASA-ESA project must have been tempted to
produce a game plan leading to this direction and such an initiative should be best
pursued in parallel to our effort. Furthermore, in the continuing observations of the
Saturnian system and Titan in the next few years, there might still be some completely
unexpected results (such as the active outgassing phenomenon of Enceladus) which
would shift our attention elsewhere other than Titan.
of Europe and USA combined together in 2025. This would only be possible
if peaceful cooperation and co-existence can be established among the Asian
countries and the rest of the world. If this condition can be reached, much
more grandiose plans would be within our reach.
Acknowledgments
The work was partly supported by grants NSC 94-2752-M-008-001-PAE,
NSC 94-2112-M-008-002, and NSC 94-2112-M-008-019.
References
1. T. Owen, P. R. Mahaffy, H. B. Niemann, S. K. Atreya, T. Donahue,
A. Bar-Nun and I. De Pater,
Nature
402
(1999) 269.
