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Planetary Science Division Status Report Planetary Science Division Status Report Jim Green NASA, Planetary Science Division June 12, 2017 Presentation at SBAG Planetary Science Missions Events 2016 March – Launch of ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter * Completed July 4 – Juno inserted in Jupiter orbit September 8 – Launch of Asteroid mission OSIRIS – REx to asteroid Bennu September 30 – Landing Rosetta on comet CG October 19 – ExoMars EDM landing and TGO orbit insertion 2017 January 4 – Discovery Mission selection announced February 9-20 - OSIRIS-REx began Earth-Trojan search April 22 – Cassini begins plane change maneuver for the “Grand Finale” August 21 – Total Solar Eclipse across the US September 15 – Cassini crashes into Saturn – end of mission September 22 – OSIRIS-REx Earth flyby 2018 May 5 - Launch InSight mission to Mars August – OSIRIS-REx arrival at Bennu October – Launch of ESA’s BepiColombo November 26 – InSight landing on Mars 2019 January 1 – New Horizons flyby of Kuiper Belt object 2014MU69 https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/subject-matter-experts Discovery Program Discovery Program NEO characteristics: Mars evolution: Lunar formation: Nature of dust/coma: Solar wind sampling: NEAR (1996-1999) Mars Pathfinder (1996-1997) Lunar Prospector (1998-1999) Stardust (1999-2011) Genesis (2001-2004) Comet diversity: Mercury environment: Comet internal structure: Lunar Internal Structure Main-belt asteroids: CONTOUR (2002) MESSENGER (2004-2015) Deep Impact (2005-2012) GRAIL (2011-2012) Dawn (2007-TBD) Exoplanets Lunar surface: ESA/Mercury Surface: Mars Interior: Trojan Asteroids: Metal Asteroids: Kepler (2009-TBD) LRO (2009-TBD) Strofio (2017-TBD) InSight (2018) Lucy (2021) Psyche (2022) NEW Discovery Missions Launch in 2022 Launch in 2021 14 JAXA: Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission • Phobos sample return, Deimos multi-flyby • Launch 2024, Return sample in 2029 or 2030 • NASA to provide (pending formal agreement) a neutron & gamma-ray spectrometer (NGRS) • Proposals for NGRS instrument solicited through Stand-Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3). • Proposals due June 20, 2017. • NASA & JAXA continue to discuss additional roles and mission responsibilities New Frontiers Program New Frontiers Program 1st NF mission 2nd NF mission 3rd NF mission New Horizons: Juno: OSIRIS-REx: Pluto-Kuiper Belt Jupiter Polar Orbiter Asteroid Sample Return Launched January 2006 Launched August 2011 Launched September 2016 Flyby July 14, 2015 Arrived July 4, 2016 PI: Dante Lauretta (UA) PI: Alan Stern (SwRI-CO) PI: Scott Bolton (SwRI-TX) New Horizons MU69 Next KBO Target Flyby January 1, 2019 NASA, NH team, and the IAU Will be working together to Name MU69 this year. More Details to Follow. Stellar Occultation of MU69 MU69 Distant Star Earth June 3, 2017 July 10, 2017 July 17, 2017 Juno reveals Jupiter’s Surprising Poles • Juno has been in orbit since July 4, 2016 – first fully analyzed science results are now being published of which this is one example • Unprecedented view of Jupiter’s poles - doesn’t look like equatorial view of bands and belts • Colors stretched to emphasis details but the blue hue is real • Cyclones nearly the size of the Earth are the dominate structure • Huge circumpolar cyclones suggest numerous science mysteries • What are their formation mechanisms? • Is this situation stable on long timescales or are we seeing a brief snapshot in time? Reference: Bolton et al., Science, 2017 Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Betsy Asher Hall/Gervasio Robles • Why do the north and south poles have different numbers of storms? Image processed by citizen scientists who used raw • Why are Jupiter’s poles different than data to produce a more aesthetically pleasing image. Earth’s and Saturn’s? OSIRIS-REx • Return and analyze a sample of Bennu’s surface • Map the asteroid & document the sample site • Measure the Yarkovsky effect Launched Sept 2016 OSIRIS-REx Mission Highlights • February 9-20 - First Science Results: Earth- Trojan Asteroid Search • Approx. two-week survey of L4 Region • Excellent rehearsal for science and ops teams • No new Trojans discovered; Imaged Jupiter and four of its moons, plus 17 Main Belt asteroids • Camera performance better than expected – imaging up to two magnitudes fainter than anticipated • March - Six-month instrument calibration and check-out complete; all instruments nominal • March 6 - Spacecraft reached furthest distance from Earth prior to Earth Gravity Assist (126 million km) and began returning for flyby on September 22 New Frontiers 4 AO Investigations (listed without priority): – Comet Surface Sample Return – Lunar South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return – Ocean Worlds (Titan, Enceladus) – Saturn Probe – Trojan Tour and Rendezvous – Venus In Situ Explorer Received 12 proposals in response to AO Proposal review by science and TMC panels is underway We are on schedule for Step 1 announcement by Christmas for ~3 competitive Phase A studies by Christmas Announcement of flight selection remains scheduled for May 2019 Launch Readiness Date is NLT Dec. 31, 2025 Mars Exploration Program Mars 2020 Landing Site Workshop Final Mars 2020 Candidate Landing Sites Final site selection targeted for end of 2018 COLUMBIA HILLS • Ancient hot springs of carbonate, sulfate, and silica-rich material • Potential biosignatures identified • Previously explored by NE SYRTIS Spirit rover • Extremely ancient volcanic and hydrothermal JEZERO environments • Ancient lava and water • Large diversity of hydrated deposition region minerals • Evidence for hydrous and • Potential subsurface clay minerals habitability 21 Outer Planets Program Cassini’s Final Orbits April 22 – Cassini began the “Grand Finale” September 15 – Cassini crashes into Saturn Saturn’s Small Bodies Pan A ring Encke Gap A ring Europa Clipper Overview • Conduct ~45 low altitude flybys with lowest 25 km (less than the ice crust) and a vast majority below 100 km to obtain global regional coverage • KDP-C scheduled: October 2018 Science Objective Description Ice Shell & Characterize the ice shell and any subsurface water, including their Ocean heterogeneity, and the nature of surface-ice-ocean exchange Understand the habitability of Europa's ocean through composition Composition and chemistry. Understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent Geology or current activity, and characterize high science interest localities. Characterize scientifically compelling sites, and hazards for a potential Recon future landed mission to Europa Community Input on Lander SDT Report • Given the challenging goal of the lander mission, NASA and the SDT are eager to hear feedback from the science community on the science content and science implementation for the mission concept. • NASA hosted interactive town hall meetings at the primary conferences for the planetary science and astrobiology communities (LPSC 3/19 and AbSciCon 4/23) to provide an extended opportunity to communicate the science content of the report and, equally importantly, to engage in constructive discussion with the scientific community. • An executive board collected findings from these town halls and presented them to NASA for consideration prior to the Mission Concept Review. • The Europa Lander SDT considered this feedback and has submitted a response to NASA. 26 Planetary Defense Coordination Office PDCO Status Report • 16,188 near-Earth asteroids discovered as of June 3, 2017, by NEO surveys, led by Catalina Sky Survey and Pan-STARRS and followed up by numerous projects • Setting a new record with 1,888 NEAs discovered in 2016 • NEOWISE continues in extended mission • Ground-based characterization continues • Increased IAWN signatories to eight nations/international entities • Held third NASA-FEMA Table Top Exercise with FEMA Region 9 in Los Angeles and follow- on communications exercise with FEMA-NASA HQs public communications officers • NASA Policy Directive approved for Notification and Communications Regarding Potential Near-Earth Object Threats • Established Interagency Working Group for Detecting and Mitigating Impacts of Earth- bound NEOs (DAMIEN) with Office of Science & Technology Policy • DAMIEN published the White House National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy • Convened the NEO Science Definition Team to update 2003 NEO Report – report in final stages of completion • Organizing a campaign to recover and characterize 2012 TC4 this year as a way to exercise the planetary defense system PDCO Mission Projects NEOCam: Near-Earth Object Camera • Selected by Discovery Program for an extended Phase A effort for FY17 to define as planetary defense mission • Delta MCR scheduled for June 26 DART: Double Asteroid Redirection Test • KDP-B decision memo in signature process • Congressional funding via NEOO Program through FY17 Upcoming Opportunities And SSERVI Selections Congratulations to the New SSERVI Teams Jack Burns, Thomas University Orlando, of Colorado Georgia Tech Boulder Amanda Hendrix, Alex Parker, SwRI Boulder Planetary Science Institute Role of Small Bodies Our Most Recent Missions 1. Formation of larger bodies in the Solar System – New Horizons flyby of MU69, Dawn at Vesta, Psyche 2. Tracers in the evolution of the Solar System – New Horizons, Dawn at Ceres, MMX, NEO Survey 3. Delivery of elements to initiate and sustain life – ANSMET, OSIRIS-REx, Hayabusa-2 4. Processes in an evolving Solar System – New Horizons, Rosetta 5. Hazards to life and human population – NEOWISE, NEO Survey, NEO Radar observations, DART 6. Resources for exploration and habitation into the future – ANSMET/characterization, ISRU studies, Commercial ventures Questions? Image by john doe Mike has made a lasting impact to our science. Photo: Ball Aerospace.
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