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| Titel |
Consequences of the scientific discoveries of the last decade on the techniques needed for Solar System exploration |
| VerfasserIn |
Joel Poncy, Paul Kamoun |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2010
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 12 (2010) |
| Datensatznummer |
250042650
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The first decade of this century has seen a considerable acceleration in our knowledge of the Solar System thanks to the remarkable findings of both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes, combined with major advances in modelling. The number of solar system bodies known to mankind has been multiplied by more than seven, with the number of bodies larger than 500km multiplied by two. The dynamic history has been retraced with scenarios such as the “Nice model” to quote only one. New classes of planetary bodies have been defined with the controversial demotion of Pluto. Many bodies thought dead have been inferred or demonstrated as active, with Enceladus geysers epitomizing this trend. The number of bodies thought to be differentiated has also rocketed thanks to probe measurements and increasingly comprehensive modelling of planetary evolution spanning over the entire age of the Solar System. Water ice has been confirmed below the dry surfaces of the Moon and Mars. Sub-surface oceans of liquid water are now more and more often considered, thus providing for a growing list of potential habitats for simple life forms “as-we-know-it”. Exotic life forms could even be theorized on the newly discovered bodies of liquid hydrocarbons on Titan.
Paradigm shifts are on going as consequences of these discoveries, whether on Solar System dynamics, on the population of its planetary bodies, on their activity or differentiation state or on those new potential microbial habitats. For engineers involved in the exploration of our system, the resulting scientific expectations call for a closer look at the concrete implications on our future mission and spacecraft designs whether for robotic or manned exploration.
We first review in this presentation those recent discoveries and shifts for dynamics, astrogeology and astrobiology. We address their impact on each type of space exploration missions: fly-bys, orbiters, atmospheric probes, landers, sample return and ultimately manned missions. The subsequent needs for more suitable techniques for scientific exploration missions render new solutions attractive, such as ancillary micro-probes, flexible architectures, penetrators, etc. These emerging techniques are reviewed per target and per type, and are placed on a strategic roadmap. |
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