The solar system is calling.
NASA is again preparing to "margin" into the universe.
Today, NASA revealed four future space missions, which are distributed throughout the solar system, two of which will go to Venus and two to Jupiter and Neptune.
▲ Conceptual diagram of the solar system. Image source: NASA
These missions are part of NASA's "exploration plan". They invite many scientists and engineers to form a team to study the solar system. Thomas Zurbuchen, deputy director of NASA's scientific mission department, said that this mission may change our view of the most active and active solar system. Understanding the most complicated part.
Exploring any of these celestial bodies will help uncover the secrets of how they and other similar objects enter the universe.
DAVINCI
"DAVINCI +" refers to "Venus deep atmosphere noble gases, chemistry and imaging", this task is simply to study the atmospheric composition of Venus.
For many scientists, studying Venus is an unattainable dream.
The surface of this hellishly harsh planet has a high temperature of 900 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as thick sulfuric acid clouds and dense carbon dioxide.
This time the researchers intend to launch a spacecraft into the atmosphere of Venus, and let the "probe" fall into the hot sky of Venus. During the fall of about an hour, the "probe" will measure the entire area from top to bottom. The chemical composition and formation conditions of the atmosphere at the height of the poster.
At the same time, the camera on the falling ball and the orbiter performing the mission will also map the types of rocks on the surface of Venus and image the surface.
▲ DAVINCI mission concept map. Image source: NASA / Goddard
This new mission will help us understand how the atmosphere is formed and whether there is an ocean on the surface of Venus.
In 1978, the US "Pioneer Venus" probed the atmosphere of Venus. The orbiter Messenger, launched in 1989, became the last mission to Venus.
If the DAVINCI+ mission goes well, it will be the first spacecraft led by NASA into the Earth’s atmosphere since 1978.
VERITAS
VERITAS is another mission to detect Venus.
It means "Venus emissivity, radio science, interferometric radar topography, topography and spectroscopy". In layman's terms, the focus of this task is to survey the surface of Venus, understand the geological history of Venus, and see why its evolution is so different from that of the earth.
After all, Venus has always been considered the twin of the earth. Its size, density, and internal structure are similar to those of the earth. But Venus has evolved into an extremely desolate place.
▲Maat Mons model of one of the Venus volcanoes. The picture comes from: nasajpl
VERITAS mission will carry a synthetic aperture radar instrument on an orbiting spacecraft to view the atmosphere of Venus, and measure the surface of almost the entire planet, and finally map the surface Complete geological map.
This information will finally answer several important questions about Venus.
includes whether Venus has plate tectonics and volcanic activity, and it can also understand how the earth and Venus evolved along completely different paths.
▲ Conceptual image of VERITAS spacecraft. Image source: NASA / JPL-Caltech
VERITAS proposed the main researcher, NASA California Jet Propulsion Laboratory researcher Suzanne Smrekar said:
We are exploring a world that was originally livable but lost.
The Venus probe "Magellan" set off from the earth in 1989, and "gazing" at the thick clouds on Venus, drawing the planet's volcanic landscape for the first time.
so far, weStill don't know what exactly is on the surface of Venus.
This task will produce the first ever surface composition map of Venus.
IVO
IVO refers to Io (IO) Volcano Observer.
Io is the fourth largest moon in the solar system and the most active place in the solar system with volcanoes.
▲ Image of Io captured by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in 1997.
, a satellite with more than 400 volcanoes, can eject a column of surface gas over 500 kilometers. The strong gravitational force from nearby Jupiter liquefies and pulls the interior of Io through tidal forces, just like the tidal action of the Earth’s oceans. The
mission will allow IVO to orbit Jupiter and pass Io to understand how tidal forces shape planetary bodies. The most important thing about
is that it will help us understand whether there is a magma ocean inside IO.
This is very important, but we always know very little about it. Alfred McEwen, the lead researcher of the IVO mission at the University of Arizona, said:
magma ocean is the key to the early development of all inner planets (including the earth and moon) and exoplanets. Therefore, studying today's magma ocean will be a major advancement.
▲ Picture from: Magnolia Box
Through a close flight outside Io, IVO will evaluate how magma is produced and erupted on Io. The results of this mission
may completely change our understanding of rocks, ground objects, and the cold "ocean" world of the solar system.
TRIDENT
The last mission is the farthest mission.
TRIDENT refers to Triton, one of Neptune's satellites.
▲ A photo of Neptune and its largest moon Triton, taken by NASA's Voyager 2 in 1989.
In 1989, after Voyager 2 observed this planet, we knew in the image that Triton was as big as the moon, but brighter and colder than originally thought, with a surface temperature of –240°C, which is the coldest in the solar system Celestial body.
But its surface is a very active world, with a large number of plumes and ice volcanoes, and it has ejected frozen methane or nitrogen ice particles as high as 32 kilometers.
This mission is a bold mission. One flyby
will draw a map of Triton, describe the process of exploring the extreme cold world, and determine whether there is a predicted underground ocean, and then study how the cold world evolves and why they have been active.
▲ Image from: NASA / JPL-Caltech
Trident Lead Researcher Louise Prockter said:
We want to figure out whether those very large and unique plumes are the result of a cold volcano or the result of a nitrogen explosion driven by sunlight.
We want to know what makes it one of the youngest surfaces in the solar system.
However, it took Voyager 2 about 12 years to reach Triton, so we have to wait a long time to get the data of Triton detection.
All these investigations will enable us to understand whether Triton may be a habitable world. Although it is far away, this is still one of the most basic problems to be solved in all solar system science.
The exploratory mission
in 2021 is regarded as NASA's "small" planetary science mission.
These projects cost no more than US$450 million and are complementary to NASA's larger solar system exploration mission.
▲ Picture from: Getty Image
's previous exploratory missions, the "Dawn" spacecraft was the first human probe to orbit the two largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta, successively; the
messenger probe is under study waterThe chemical composition, geology and magnetic field of stars;
InSight lander is currently monitoring seismic activity on Mars;
selected two exploratory missions "Lucy" and "Psyche" in 2017, planned Launched in 2021 and 2022, visiting six Jupiter Trojan asteroids and metal asteroid 16 Psyche.
The teams for the above four missions are the finalists in NASA's next round of exploration missions.
Now, each mission team will receive $3 million from NASA and complete the proposal within 9 months. The final cost limit for the selected team to carry out the mission is US$450 million, but does not include launch costs and international donations.
▲ Picture from: Flickr
Next year, NASA will select no more than two missions for comprehensive research and development. The two teams will receive two launch opportunities in 2025 or 2026, and 2028 or 2029.
At that time, the distance between mankind and the distant solar system was one step closer.
looked curiously at the dazzling starry sky from primitive humans, and today more and more planets in the universe are within reach. These countless generations of exploration are just a moment's away from the 13.8 billion-year history of the universe.
▲ Picture from: Mashable
But we are constantly breaking time and distance.
We are still trying to lift off again and again, extending the tentacles of human beings from our tiny homes to tens of billions of light-years away from the earth.
Now, the future is also step by step, becoming clearer and brighter.
