scholarly journals Science goals and new mission concepts for future exploration of Titan’s atmosphere, geology and habitability: titan POlar scout/orbitEr and in situ lake lander and DrONe explorer (POSEIDON)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Rodriguez ◽  
Sandrine Vinatier ◽  
Daniel Cordier ◽  
Gabriel Tobie ◽  
Richard K. Achterberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Large Set ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
Spring Equinox ◽  
In Situ Investigation ◽  
The Ideal

AbstractIn response to ESA’s “Voyage 2050” announcement of opportunity, we propose an ambitious L-class mission to explore one of the most exciting bodies in the Solar System, Saturn’s largest moon Titan. Titan, a “world with two oceans”, is an organic-rich body with interior-surface-atmosphere interactions that are comparable in complexity to the Earth. Titan is also one of the few places in the Solar System with habitability potential. Titan’s remarkable nature was only partly revealed by the Cassini-Huygens mission and still holds mysteries requiring a complete exploration using a variety of vehicles and instruments. The proposed mission concept POSEIDON (Titan POlar Scout/orbitEr and In situ lake lander DrONe explorer) would perform joint orbital and in situ investigations of Titan. It is designed to build on and exceed the scope and scientific/technological accomplishments of Cassini-Huygens, exploring Titan in ways that were not previously possible, in particular through full close-up and in situ coverage over long periods of time. In the proposed mission architecture, POSEIDON consists of two major elements: a spacecraft with a large set of instruments that would orbit Titan, preferably in a low-eccentricity polar orbit, and a suite of in situ investigation components, i.e. a lake lander, a “heavy” drone (possibly amphibious) and/or a fleet of mini-drones, dedicated to the exploration of the polar regions. The ideal arrival time at Titan would be slightly before the next northern Spring equinox (2039), as equinoxes are the most active periods to monitor still largely unknown atmospheric and surface seasonal changes. The exploration of Titan’s northern latitudes with an orbiter and in situ element(s) would be highly complementary in terms of timing (with possible mission timing overlap), locations, and science goals with the upcoming NASA New Frontiers Dragonfly mission that will provide in situ exploration of Titan’s equatorial regions, in the mid-2030s.

scholarly journals Lunar exploration: opening a window into the history and evolution of the inner Solar System

2014 ◽  
Vol 372 (2024) ◽  
pp. 20130315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A. Crawford ◽  
Katherine H. Joy
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Lunar Exploration ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Moon System ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Geological Evolution ◽  
History Of ◽  
Rocky Planets

The lunar geological record contains a rich archive of the history of the inner Solar System, including information relevant to understanding the origin and evolution of the Earth–Moon system, the geological evolution of rocky planets, and our local cosmic environment. This paper provides a brief review of lunar exploration to-date and describes how future exploration initiatives will further advance our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon, the Earth–Moon system and of the Solar System more generally. It is concluded that further advances will require the placing of new scientific instruments on, and the return of additional samples from, the lunar surface. Some of these scientific objectives can be achieved robotically, for example by in situ geochemical and geophysical measurements and through carefully targeted sample return missions. However, in the longer term, we argue that lunar science would greatly benefit from renewed human operations on the surface of the Moon, such as would be facilitated by implementing the recently proposed Global Exploration Roadmap.

scholarly journals Elemental and molecular abundances in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (1) ◽  
pp. 594-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Rubin ◽  
Kathrin Altwegg ◽  
Hans Balsiger ◽  
Jean-Jacques Berthelier ◽  
Michael R Combi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Rosetta Mission ◽  
Solar System Objects ◽  
Dust Composition ◽  
Solar Abundances ◽  
Molecular Abundances ◽  
Comet 67P

ABSTRACT Comets are considered to be some of the most pristine and unprocessed Solar system objects accessible to in situ exploration. Investigating their molecular and elemental composition takes us on a journey back to the early period of our Solar system and possibly even further. In this work, we deduce the bulk abundances of the major volatile species in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the target of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta mission. The basis are measurements obtained with the ROSINA instrument suite on board the Rosetta orbiter during a suitable period of high outgassing near perihelion. The results are combined with both gas and dust composition measurements published in the literature. This provides an integrated inventory of the major elements present in the nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Similar to comet 1P/Halley, which was visited by ESA’s Giotto spacecraft in 1986, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko also shows near-solar abundances of oxygen and carbon, whereas hydrogen and nitrogen are depleted compared to solar. Still, the degree of devolatilization is lower than that of inner Solar system objects, including meteorites and the Earth. This supports the idea that comets are amongst the most pristine objects in our Solar system.

scholarly journals Very Hot Plasmas in the Solar System

1980 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 351-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. I. Axford
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Astrophysical Plasmas ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Emission And Absorption Spectra ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The Universe

In contrast to most astrophysical situations where information about hot plasmas can be obtained only from emission and absorption spectra, often without spatial resolution, plasmas in the solar system in many cases provide us with the opportunity to make direct, in situ measurements. Such plasmas, notably the solar wind and the plasmas contained in the magnetosphere of the earth, Jupiter, and other planets, must be heated by processes which are in many cases similar to those occurring in astrophysical plasmas and their behaviour should also be to some extent similar. It is therefore interesting and instructive to be able to compare our observations and understanding of these accessible solar system plasmas with those found elsewhere in the universe which are not so easy to observe in detail. This might provide us with some new ideas and perspectives on the nature and behaviour of hot plasmas in general and also an opportunity to test some of our ideas against “ground truth”.

scholarly journals Investigating the Effect of Gypsum Powder on Chemical Constituents of Soil and Selected Crops, Adigudem, Tigray, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-176
Author(s):  
Berhe Hailu ◽  
Samuel Estifanos
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Chemical Constituent ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
In Situ Investigation ◽  
Mekelle University ◽  
Properties Of Soil

This paper investigates the effects of gypsum powder from the gypsum plant in Adigudem on chemical properties of soil as well as the yield of two major crops, wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare). Three mixes of 10kg of soil with 0%, 10%, 30%, and 50% proportion of gypsum powder were used for pot experiments under glasshouse conditions at Mekelle University. One bulk soil sample was collected from a spot at 4 km from the eastern side of the plant. The chemical concentration of major elements Ca, K, Na, Mg, and Mn, and trace elements, Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, and Fe in soil and plant parts were determined using an Atomic absorption spectrometer as well as NO3, PO4 and SO4 using UV-spectrometer. The results suggest that the gypsum powder enhances metals and anion content in soil and in crop parts compared to the control sample. The chemical constituents in soil and crop parts showed negligible variation with increasing proportions of gypsum powder. Gypsum loaded Ca, SO4, Mn, and Pb onto the soil, which exhibited higher Mg, Cu, Mo, Cd, NO3, and PO4 but the comparable concentrations of Fe, K, Zn, and Cr in decreasing order. However, a direct relationship was noted in chemical constituent loadings along the pathway:  powder-soil-crop in a similar fashion in the three mixes. Factor analyses revealed that wheat parts have a higher accumulation of nutrients than the barley parts with higher content in its growth soil blends.  As an extension of this research, the in-situ investigation is recommended to assess the direct impact of the gypsum powder emitted over the soil and crops.

scholarly journals 6. Space Observations of Solar System Objects

1985 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 642-643
Author(s):  
J. Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Phase Angle ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Spectral Range ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Solar System Objects ◽  
Very High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Very High

Solar system objects may be studied in space by two general techniques. Everyone is familiar with the exciting aspects of deep space probes: very high spatial resolution; in situ measurements of particles and fields; in situ chemistry studies by mass spectrographs and gas chromatographs; unique phase angle and occultation opportunities. However, the Solar system can also be studied to great advantage by observatories in orbit around the Earth. The broader spectral range available above the terrestrial atmosphere is as important for planetary studies as it is for investigations of more distant astronomical targets. Both techniques will be discussed in this brief report.

Comets : A Key to Solar System Formation

1989 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 867-876
Author(s):  
Horst Uwe Keller
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Heliocentric Distance ◽  
Planetary System ◽  
Cometary Nucleus ◽  
Interplanetary Dust ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Interplanetary Dust Particles ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Comet Halley

Abstract Four lines of information on comets are discussed: their orbits, their relation to other bodies of the planetary system, their physical state and chemical composition, and implications of recent observations of the nucleus of comet Halley. The in situ measurements during the flybys of comet Halley strongly support the assumption that comets are members of the solar system and were created during its formation. The region (heliocentric distance) of their formation is, however, still difficult to assess. The size, shape, and topography of the cometary nucleus suggest that it was formed from relatively large subnuclei in a region of the primordial solar nebula where relative velocities were sufficiently small. There are indications that some of the interplanetary dust particles in the Earth atmosphre may originate from comets.

scholarly journals Comparison of in-situ FISH measurements of water vapor in the UTLS with ECMWF (re)analysis data

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 14399-14438 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kunz ◽  
N. Spelten ◽  
P. Konopka ◽  
R. Müller ◽  
R. M. Forbes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
High Water ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Time Periods

Abstract. An evaluation of water vapor in the UTLS in the atmospheric ERA-Interim reanalysis data set is presented by using in-situ measurements from a large set of airborne measurement campaigns from 2001 to 2011 in the tropics, midlatitudes and polar regions. Water vapor measurements are derived from the Fast In-situ Stratospheric Hygrometer (FISH) and cover isentropic layers from 300–400 K (5–18 km). At the same time, the improvement of the ECMWF assimilation scheme representation of water vapor is addressed for time periods representing different cycles of the Integrated Forecast System (IFS). The ratio Δ(H2O) = H2OERA / H2OFISH is used as a simple measure for the difference between observations and the reanalyses. Overall, the reanalysis data reproduce around 87% of all FISH measurements within Δ(H2O) = 0.5–2, and 30% are within Δ(H2O) = 1.0 ± 0.1. Nevertheless, also strong over- and underestimations occur both in the troposphere and in the stratosphere. Δ(H2O) values indicate deviations of factors up to 10, with lower deviations in the stratosphere (Δ(H2O) = 0.5–4) than in the troposphere (Δ(H2O) = 0.5–10). In the tropical stratosphere the ratio is closer to 1 (Δ(H2O) = 0.5–2) than in the extratropical stratosphere where strong deviations occur (Δ(H2O) = 0.1–4). When considering operational analysis data, the agreement with FISH improves over the time, in particular when comparing water vapor fields for time periods before 2004 and after 2010. It appears that influences of tropical tropospheric and extratropical lower stratospheric processes on the water vapor distribution in the UTLS are particularly challenging, resulting in an overestimation of low and underestimation of high water vapor mixing ratios.

scholarly journals Joint Discussion 10 Progress in planetary exploration missions

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (14) ◽  
pp. 319-320
Author(s):  
Guy Consolmagno
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Planetary Exploration ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Space Age ◽  
New Research ◽  
First Time

The astronomical study of planets is as old as Galileo's telescope, but in a profound way it was reborn with the advent of the Space Age. By constructing probes capable of leaving the surface of the Earth and traveling to other places in our solar system, sending back data collected from the very places that the astronomers wished to study, for the first time we were freed from the restrictions of observing astronomical objects from afar. These in-situ measurements, in their turn, have inspired countless new research projects back on Earth, from laboratory studies of materials to telescopic observations, of objects and in wavelengths now known to be of astronomical interest, thanks to those probes.

The Origin of the Moon

1962 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 149-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. L. Ruskol
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Solar System ◽  
The Moon ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Origin Of The Moon

The difference between average densities of the Moon and Earth was interpreted in the preceding report by Professor H. Urey as indicating a difference in their chemical composition. Therefore, Urey assumes the Moon's formation to have taken place far away from the Earth, under conditions differing substantially from the conditions of Earth's formation. In such a case, the Earth should have captured the Moon. As is admitted by Professor Urey himself, such a capture is a very improbable event. In addition, an assumption that the “lunar” dimensions were representative of protoplanetary bodies in the entire solar system encounters great difficulties.

The Origin of the Moon and its Relationship to the Origin of the Solar System

1962 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 133-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold C. Urey
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
The Moon ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Origin Of The Moon

During the last 10 years, the writer has presented evidence indicating that the Moon was captured by the Earth and that the large collisions with its surface occurred within a surprisingly short period of time. These observations have been a continuous preoccupation during the past years and some explanation that seemed physically possible and reasonably probable has been sought.

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