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NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 18, 2004 Current Operating Status
1990 Update to Strategy for Exploration of the Inner
Planets
2
Overview
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES SINCE 1978
A number of developments in the decade following the publication of the 1978
report have made this update necessary. These developments fall into three
areas—programmatic, scientific, and technical. The major programmatic issue is
that progress toward the goals recommended in the 1978 report has been much
slower than the committee anticipated when it wrote the original strategy. The
Challenger disaster and cost increases associated with the Space Transportation
System have resulted in long delays in the launch of planned missions. These
unforeseen complications have placed large stresses on resources for new and
planned missions, as well as on supporting activities. Since the publication of the
previous strategy, only one U.S. mission has been launched to the inner planets.
During this period the capabilities of other nations for planetary research have
increased as well. This has provided a new environment for consideration of
international cooperation.
The last decade has nonetheless included significant U.S. and USSR planetary
missions. Pioneer Venus has orbited Venus, and the Soviet Union has launched
six missions. to Venus, including, radar mappers, landers, and atmospheric
balloons, and has sent the PHOBOS mission to Mars. Most recently, the United
States has launched the Magellan mission, which is currently en route to Venus,
and the Mars Observer mission is progressing toward a 1992 launch date. Galileo
made new observations of Venus when the spacecraft flew by it on the way to
Jupiter. Several European nations have contributed instruments to the Soviet
VEGA and PHOBOS missions, and Japan has launched its first experimental
mission to the Moon.
The major scientific developments include not only the understanding of new data
from the space missions mentioned above, but also the deeper analysis of
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information from previous missions. The span of time has allowed a synthesis of
many of these results. Additionally, basic research, ground-based observations,
and theoretical modeling have provided new information and insights.
Technical advances in instrumentation and computation make possible
investigations that were considered unrealistic a decade ago. One very positive
development is that economical ways have now been found to send an orbiting
spacecraft to Mercury, a project considered prohibitively difficult when the 1978
report was written.
The extensive delays in our planetary exploration program, the changed
international environment, and the new data and continuing analysis of old data,
together with our new perspectives based on current technology and
understanding, all argue for a review of the existing strategy.
REVIEW OF 1978 REPORT
COMPLEX has undertaken a comprehensive review of the discussions and
recommendations made in the 1978 report Strategy for Exploration of the Inner
Planets: 1977-1987 (Appendix A). This review has included numerous
presentations by leading authorities, who have described the current status and
objectives of exploration of the inner planets. Based on these presentations and
the most recent scientific publications, COMPLPEX, has concluded that the
existing strategy is mostly valid and does not require extensive revision. The
committee therefore endorses the discussion and recommendations of the 1978
report, except as noted below.
Nevertheless, some parts of the report are outdated, especially the descriptions of
the state of scientific knowledge at the time of writing. The present report is
therefore an update to the 1978 strategy, enumerating the significant progress
since that time, providing a current perspective on the outstanding scientific
objectives, and delineating a small number of recommendations that extend and
modify the 1978 recommendations and measurement requirements. The major
modifications are to raise the priority of some of the 1978 objectives, to note where
expected achievement of some goals has not occurred, and to add some
objectives not mentioned, in 1978. The committee additionally provides advice on
some key policy issues where significant developments have taken place over the
last decade, in particular with regard to supporting research, program balance, and
international cooperation.
NEW RECOMMENDATIONS
The extensions and revisions to the recommendations .made in the I978 report are
summarized in the following recommendations:
Mercury
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Characterization of Mercury's magnetic field should be a primary
q
objective for exploration of that planet.
Venus
Characterization of the basic structure, composition, and dynamics of
q
Venus's atmosphere should be a primary objective.
Acquisition of seismic data from Venus should be maintained as a highly
q
desirable goal.
Serious study of instruments operating at Veriusian surface
q
temperatures should be undertaken and preliminary studies should be
conducted to determine the technical feasibility of sample return from
Venus.
The Moon
A spacecraft or series of them should be placed in a lunar polar orbit.
q
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) should
q
develop the technology to deploy geophysical stations.
Global mineralogical measurements at high spatial and spectral
q
resolution should be given a high priority.
Mars
The importance of the scientific objectives of study of the Martian
q
atmosphere, interior, magnetic field, and global properties should be
given equal priority with the objective of intensive study of local areas.
The geochemical, isotopic, and paleontological study of Martian surface
q
material for evidence of previous living material should be a prime
objective of future in situ and sample return missions.
Supporting Research
NASA should support a vigorous program of data analysis, basic
q
research, and scientific instrument development.
Program Balance
Exploration of the inner planets in the next two decades should include
q
further exploration of Mercury and Venus because a program of
planetary exploration that includes only Mars and the Moon is
scientifically inadequate.
International Cooperation
Selection of foreign scientists and experiments for U.S. missions should
q
be based strongly on scientific merit, and the free flow of scientific data,
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and results, should be a necessary precondition for any cooperative
arrangements.
NASA should consider all appropriate foreign capabilities available for
q
planning and carrying out its missions and should cultivate those that
enhance the scientific return.
NASA should fully involve the scientific community in planning for
q
international cooperation and in assessment of proposed cooperative
missions.
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