Neptune Odyssey: A Flagship Concept for the Exploration of the Neptune–Triton System

Rymer, Abigail M., Runyon, Kirby D., Clyde, Brenda, Núñez, Jorge I., Nikoukar, Romina, Soderlund, Krista M., Sayanagi, Kunio, Hofstadter, Mark, Quick, Lynnae C., Stern, S. Alan, Becker, Tracy, Hedman, Matthew, Cohen, Ian, Crary, Frank, Fortney, Jonathan J., Vertesi, Janet, Hansen, Candy, de Pater, Imke, Paty, Carol, Spilker, Thomas, Stallard, Tom, Hospodarsky, George B., Smith, H. Todd, Wakeford, Hannah, Moran, Sarah E., Annex, Andrew, Schenk, Paul, Ozimek, Martin, Arrieta, Juan, McNutt, Ralph L., Masters, Adam, Simon, Amy A., Ensor, Susan, Apland, Clint T., Bruzzi, Jonathan, Patthoff, D. Alex, Scott, Christopher, Campo, Christian, Krupiarz, Christopher, Cochrane, Corey J., Gantz, Curt, Rodriguez, Dan, Gallagher, Dan, Hurley, Dana, Crowley, Doug, Abel, Elizabeth, Provornikova, Elena, Turtle, Elizabeth P., Clark, George, Wilkes, Jacob, Hunt, Jack, Roberts, James H., Rehm, Jeremy, Murray, Kelvin, Wolfarth, Larry, Fletcher, Leigh N., Spilker, Linda, Martin, Emily S., Parisi, Marzia, Norkus, Mike, Izenberg, Noam, Stough, Robert, Vervack, Ron J., Mandt, Kathleen, Stevenson, Kevin B., Kijewski, Seth, Cheng, Weilun, Feldman, Jay D., Allen, Gary, Prabhu, Dinesh, Dutta, Soumya, Young, Cindy and Williams, Joseph (2021) Neptune Odyssey: A Flagship Concept for the Exploration of the Neptune–Triton System. The Planetary Science Journal, 2 (5). p. 184. ISSN 2632-3338

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/abf654

Abstract

The Neptune Odyssey mission concept is a Flagship-class orbiter and atmospheric probe to the Neptune-Triton system. This bold mission of exploration would orbit an ice-giant planet to study the planet, its rings, small satellites, space environment, and the planet-sized moon Triton. Triton is a captured dwarf planet from the Kuiper Belt, twin of Pluto, and likely ocean world. Odyssey addresses Neptune system-level science, with equal priorities placed on Neptune, its rings, moons, space environment, and Triton. Between Uranus and Neptune, the latter is unique in providing simultaneous access to both an ice giant and a Kuiper Belt dwarf planet. The spacecraft - in a class equivalent to the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft - would launch by 2031 on a Space Launch System or equivalent launch vehicle and utilize a Jupiter gravity assist for a 12 yr cruise to Neptune and a 4 yr prime orbital mission; alternatively a launch after 2031 would have a 16 yr direct-to-Neptune cruise phase. Our solution provides annual launch opportunities and allows for an easy upgrade to the shorter (12 yr) cruise. Odyssey would orbit Neptune retrograde (prograde with respect to Triton), using the moon's gravity to shape the orbital tour and allow coverage of Triton, Neptune, and the space environment. The atmospheric entry probe would descend in ~37 minutes to the 10 bar pressure level in Neptune's atmosphere just before Odyssey's orbit-insertion engine burn. Odyssey's mission would end by conducting a Cassini-like "Grand Finale,"passing inside the rings and ultimately taking a final great plunge into Neptune's atmosphere.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Funding Information: The team thanks NASA for having the vision to support these studies in preparation for the 2023 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. This work was specifically supported by the NASA Planetary Mission Concept Study, grant number NNH18ZDA001N-PMCS. Work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. L.N.F. is supported by a European Research Council Consolidator Grant (under the European Unionʼs Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, grant agreement No 723890) at the University of Leicester. A.M. was supported by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. I.dP. acknowledges support from NSF grant AST-1615004 to UC Berkeley. K.M.S. was supported by NASA Solar System Workings grant NNX15AL56G. S.A.S. acknowledges support from SwRI internal funds. The authors would like to thank Amanda Hendrix, Michael Paul, Ralph Lorenz, Andy Cheng, and Barry Mauk for their excellent reviews of the mission concept; Margaret Moore and Anne King for invaluable assistance editing the main report; Magda Saina, Caleb Heidel, and Michael Yakovlev for artistic support; June Zakrajsek for helpful discussions on power production; and Kenneth Hansen and Doris Daou at NASA HQ for vital support and guidance throughout. Funding Information: The team thanks NASA for having the vision to support these studies in preparation for the 2023 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. This work was specifically supported by the NASA Planetary Mission Concept Study, grant number NNH18ZDA001N-PMCS. Work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. L.N.F. is supported by a European Research Council Consolidator Grant (under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, grant agreement No 723890) at the University of Leicester. A.M. was supported by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. I.dP. acknowledges support from NSF grant AST-1615004 to UC Berkeley. K.M.S. was supported by NASA Solar System Workings grant NNX15AL56G. S.A.S. acknowledges support from SwRI internal funds. The authors would like to thank Amanda Hendrix, Michael Paul, Ralph Lorenz, Andy Cheng, and Barry Mauk for their excellent reviews of the mission concept; Margaret Moore and Anne King for invaluable assistance editing the main report; Magda Saina, Caleb Heidel, and Michael Yakovlev for artistic support; June Zakrajsek for helpful discussions on power production; and Kenneth Hansen and Doris Daou at NASA HQ for vital support and guidance throughout.
Uncontrolled Keywords: Extrasolar ice giants, Neptune, Neptunian satellites, Ocean planets, Planetary magnetosphere, Planetary polar regions, Planetary rings, Planetary surfaces, Pluto, Surface ices, Uranus, Van Allen radiation belt
Subjects: F300 Physics
F500 Astronomy
Department: Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering
Depositing User: Rachel Branson
Date Deposited: 24 Jan 2023 14:00
Last Modified: 24 Jan 2023 14:15
URI: https://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/51232

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