The enceladus orbilander mission concept: Balancing return and resources in the search for life

Journal
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
MacKenzie, Shannon M.
•
Neveu, Marc
•
Davila, Alfonso F.
•
Lunine, Jonathan I.
•
Craft, Kathleen L.
•
Cable, Morgan L.
•
Phillips-Lander, Charity M.
•
Hofgartner, Jason D.
•
Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.
•
Waite, J. Hunter
•
Glein, Christopher R.
•
Gold, Robert
•
Greenauer, Peter J.
•
Kirby, Karen
•
Bradburne, Christopher
•
Kounaves, Samuel P.
•
Malaska, Michael J.
•
Postberg, Frank
•
Patterson, G. Wesley
•
Porco, Carolyn
•
Núñez, Jorge I.
•
German, Chris
•
Huber, Julie A.
•
McKay, Christopher P.
•
De Vera, Jean Pierre
•
•
Spilker, Linda J.
DOI
Abstract
Enceladus’s long-lived plume of ice grains and water vapor makes accessing oceanic material readily achievable from orbit (around Saturn or Enceladus) and from the moon’s surface. In preparation for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine 2023–2032 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, we investigated four architectures capable of collecting and analyzing plume material from orbit and/or on the surface to address the most pressing questions at Enceladus: Is the subsurface ocean inhabited? Why, or why not? Trades specific to these four architectures were studied to allow an evaluation of the science return with respect to investment. The team found that Orbilander, a mission concept that would first orbit and then land on Enceladus, represented the best balance. Orbilander was thus studied at a higher fidelity, including a more detailed science operations plan during both orbital and landed phases, landing site characterization and selection analyses, and landing procedures. The Orbilander mission concept demonstrates that scientifically compelling but resource-conscious Flagship-class missions can be executed in the next decade to search for life at Enceladus.
Volume
2
Issue
2
Start page
77
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
2632-3338
Rights
open.access
File(s)
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name

MacKenzie_2021_Planet._Sci._J._2_77.pdf

Description
Pdf editoriale
Size

4.23 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

aebedcd63fe2a6cd876427492b3d58f3