The Enceladus Orbilander mission concept: balancing return and resources in the search for life
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
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.
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.
Date Issued
2021-04
Date Acceptance
2021-02-08
Citation
The Planetary Science Journal, 2021, 2 (2)
ISSN
2632-3338
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Journal / Book Title
The Planetary Science Journal
Volume
2
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2021. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society. Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further
distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title
of the work, journal citation and DOI.
of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further
distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title
of the work, journal citation and DOI.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000912966800001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
Astronomy & Astrophysics
ICE
ORIGIN
Physical Sciences
PLUME
PROBE
Science & Technology
WATER
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
77
Date Publish Online
2021-04-27