A robotic mission to orbit Uranus. A probe that can land on a potentially life-supporting moon of Saturn. And a better plan for astronauts to do high-quality science on the Moon. These are among the priorities in a report from NASA advisers. | via NPR
But the report also says if the price tag looks to rise substantially above $5.3 billion, or if the cost eats up more than around 35% of NASA's planetary science budget in any given year, NASA should seek additional money from Congress rather than taking funds away from other worthy missions — like ones to Uranus and Enceladus.In 1986, NASA's Voyager 2 probe flew by Uranus, seen here in an image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
In recent years, detections of planets in alien solar systems show that ice giant planets are"likely the most common class of planets in the universe," saysof the Southwest Research Institute, who co-chaired the steering committee."We saw this mission as delivering absolutely transformative, breakthrough science because we know so little about these systems. We are sure there are going to be lots of surprises once we get there.
"Enceladus is the logical candidate to go to try to look for evidence of life today," says Christensen."In terms of the ocean worlds, it's by far the most active and the easiest to access."The advisers say NASA needs to get serious about doing science in its multi-billion effort to return astronauts to the moon, called the Artemis program.
"We see the Artemis program as being aspirational and transformative, and we want it to be accompanied by transformative science," says Canup.
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