tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post6375257443654540558..comments2024-01-03T20:28:17.727-08:00Comments on Future Planetary Exploration: A New Frontiers Icy-ocean Moon Mission?Van Kanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227978868817989527noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-26037731120656016132011-06-07T16:21:40.435-07:002011-06-07T16:21:40.435-07:00I like the idea of a New Frontiers-class mission t...I like the idea of a New Frontiers-class mission to re-start Europa exploration. Let's start with Europa Orbiter 1 and carry as much of a payload as $1 Billion would allow. This could be followed by Europa Orbiters 2 and 3. <br /><br /> Let me address a few issues. I think that NASA would not end Europa exploration with just 1 low-cost orbiter. I think that EO-1 would return such intriguing data as to demand a series of orbiters to that world. We need to think of Europa exploration as a multi-decade endeavour, much like NASA's unmanned Mars program. <br /> Also, I don't believe that NASA would, or should, make Europa Orbiters part of the official NF Program. I think that the EO's should be part of the Outer Planets budget line-item. The Europa Orbiters have a special place in NASA's plans in that the 2 most recent Decadal Surveys have placed Europa exploration at the top of the list of recommended missions. Europa is not an also-ran. It has a special priority. Again, much like Mars. <br /> I would like to see NASA get inventive and put out an AO for an NF-class Europa Orbiter. This would follow the precendent set with the approval of the New Horizons Pluto probe. This contest for a Pluto flyby was done by way of an AO after NASA pulled the plug on the over-budget JPL Pluto proposal. New Horizons expense is about half what the JPL design would have cost.Phil Horzempahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877760318970050320noreply@blogger.com