Uranus Pathfinder: exploring the origins and evolution of Ice Giant planets
Uranus Pathfinder: exploring the origins and evolution of Ice Giant planets
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DOI：
10.1007/s10686-011-9251-4
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发表时间：
2012-04-01
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Zarka, Philippe
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Arridge, Christopher S.;Agnor, Craig B.;Zarka, Philippe
与木星和土星相比，“冰巨人”天王星和海王星是不同类型的行星。研究这些天体对于进一步了解行星的形成和演化，以及揭示太阳系中的基本物理和化学过程非常重要。当我们试图将我们的理解应用于围绕其他恒星发现的众多行星系统时，填补我们对太阳系知识的这些空白的重要性尤为突出。因此，天王星探路者（UP）使命代表了欧空局《2015-2025年宇宙愿景》中所述欧洲行星界目标的典型方面。UP是在2010年被欧洲航天局M3提出的中等任务，并被提议成为第一个冰巨行星的轨道飞行器。作为M级使命包层内最容易接近的冰巨人，天王星被确定为使命的目标。虽然没有被选中，但UP使命概念为利用现有的低成本平台探索天王星提供了一个基线框架，并强调了开发适合外太阳系的电源的必要性。UP科学案例基于探索冰巨人行星系统的起源，进化和工作过程。确定了三个广泛的主题：（1）天王星是一个冰巨人，（2）一个冰巨人行星系统，（3）一个不对称的磁层。由于从地球到天王星的漫长的行星际转移，也开发了一个重要的巡航阶段科学主题。UP使命概念要求使用火星快车/罗塞塔型平台，于2021年在联盟-Fregat上发射，并在2036-2037年的时间框架内进入天王星周围的偏心极轨道。科学有效载荷在欧洲和其他地区具有很强的传统，不需要重大的技术发展。
The "Ice Giants" Uranus and Neptune are a different class of planet compared to Jupiter and Saturn. Studying these objects is important for furthering our understanding of the formation and evolution of the planets, and unravelling the fundamental physical and chemical processes in the Solar System. The importance of filling these gaps in our knowledge of the Solar System is particularly acute when trying to apply our understanding to the numerous planetary systems that have been discovered around other stars. The Uranus Pathfinder (UP) mission thus represents the quintessential aspects of the objectives of the European planetary community as expressed in ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025. UP was proposed to the European Space Agency's M3 call for medium-class missions in 2010 and proposed to be the first orbiter of an Ice Giant planet. As the most accessible Ice Giant within the M-class mission envelope Uranus was identified as the mission target. Although not selected for this call the UP mission concept provides a baseline framework for the exploration of Uranus with existing low-cost platforms and underlines the need to develop power sources suitable for the outer Solar System. The UP science case is based around exploring the origins, evolution, and processes at work in Ice Giant planetary systems. Three broad themes were identified: (1) Uranus as an Ice Giant, (2) An Ice Giant planetary system, and (3) An asymmetric magnetosphere. Due to the long interplanetary transfer from Earth to Uranus a significant cruise-phase science theme was also developed. The UP mission concept calls for the use of a Mars Express/Rosetta-type platform to launch on a Soyuz-Fregat in 2021 and entering into an eccentric polar orbit around Uranus in the 2036-2037 timeframe. The science payload has a strong heritage in Europe and beyond and requires no significant technology developments.