5 research outputs found
OSS (Outer Solar System): A fundamental and planetary physics mission to Neptune, Triton and the Kuiper Belt
The present OSS mission continues a long and bright tradition by associating
the communities of fundamental physics and planetary sciences in a single
mission with ambitious goals in both domains. OSS is an M-class mission to
explore the Neptune system almost half a century after flyby of the Voyager 2
spacecraft. Several discoveries were made by Voyager 2, including the Great
Dark Spot (which has now disappeared) and Triton's geysers. Voyager 2 revealed
the dynamics of Neptune's atmosphere and found four rings and evidence of ring
arcs above Neptune. Benefiting from a greatly improved instrumentation, it will
result in a striking advance in the study of the farthest planet of the Solar
System. Furthermore, OSS will provide a unique opportunity to visit a selected
Kuiper Belt object subsequent to the passage of the Neptunian system. It will
consolidate the hypothesis of the origin of Triton as a KBO captured by
Neptune, and improve our knowledge on the formation of the Solar system. The
probe will embark instruments allowing precise tracking of the probe during
cruise. It allows to perform the best controlled experiment for testing, in
deep space, the General Relativity, on which is based all the models of Solar
system formation. OSS is proposed as an international cooperation between ESA
and NASA, giving the capability for ESA to launch an M-class mission towards
the farthest planet of the Solar system, and to a Kuiper Belt object. The
proposed mission profile would allow to deliver a 500 kg class spacecraft. The
design of the probe is mainly constrained by the deep space gravity test in
order to minimise the perturbation of the accelerometer measurement.Comment: 43 pages, 10 figures, Accepted to Experimental Astronomy, Special
Issue Cosmic Vision. Revision according to reviewers comment
The 2010 European Venus Explorer (EVE) mission proposal
International audienceThe European Venus Explorer (EVE) mission described in this paper was proposed in December 2010 to ESA as an 'M-class' mission under the Cosmic Vision programme. It consists of a single balloon platform floating in the middle of the main convective cloud layer of Venus at an altitude of 55 km, where temperatures and pressures are benign (âŒ25°C and âŒ0.5 bar). The balloon float lifetime would be at least 10 Earth days, long enough to guarantee at least one full circumnavigation of the planet. This offers an ideal platform for the two main science goals of the mission: study of the current climate through detailed characterization of cloud-level atmosphere, and investigation of the formation and evolution of Venus, through careful measurement of noble gas isotopic abundances. These investigations would provide key data for comparative planetology of terrestrial planets in our solar system and beyond
Odyssey: a solar system mission
The Solar System Odyssey mission uses modern-day high-precision experimental
techniques to test the laws of fundamental physics which determine dynamics in
the solar system. It could lead to major discoveries by using demonstrated
technologies. The mission proposes to perform a set of precision gravitation
experiments from the vicinity of Earth to the outer Solar System. Its
scientific objectives can be summarized as follows: i) test of the gravity
force law in the Solar System up to and beyond the orbit of Saturn; ii) precise
investigation of navigation anomalies at the fly-bys; iii) measurement of
Eddington's parameter at occultations; iv) mapping of gravity field in the
outer solar system and study of the Kuiper belt. To this aim, the Odyssey
mission is built up on a main spacecraft, designed to fly up to 13 AU, with the
following components: a) a high-precision accelerometer, with bias-rejection
system, measuring the deviation of the trajectory from the geodesics; b)
Ka-band transponders, as for Cassini, for a precise range and Doppler
measurement up to 13 AU, with additional VLBI equipment; c) optional laser
equipment, which would allow one to improve the range and Doppler measurement.
In this baseline concept, the main spacecraft is designed to operate beyond the
Saturn orbit, up to 13 AU. It experiences multiple planetary fly-bys at Earth,
Mars or Venus, and Jupiter. The cruise and fly-by phases allow the mission to
achieve its baseline scientific objectives (i) to iii) in the above list). In
addition to this baseline concept, the Odyssey mission proposes the release of
the Enigma radio-beacon at Saturn, allowing one to extend the deep space
gravity test up to at least 50 AU, while achieving the scientific objective of
a mapping of gravity field in the outer Solar System.Comment: revision with Experimental Astronomy Referee comments, correction of
typographic errors, add of bibliographic reference, modification of authors
list