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Committee on the Planetary Science Decadal Survey
Space Studies Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council,
whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and
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and with regard for appropriate balance.
Support for this project was provided by Contract NNH06CE15B between the National Academy of Sciences and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration and Grant AST-1050744 between the National Academy of Sciences and the
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in sci-
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www.nationalacademies.org
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OTHER RECENT REPORTS OF THE SPACE STUDIES BOARD
Assessment of Impediments to Interagency Collaboration on Space and Earth Science Missions (Space Studies Board [SSB], 2011)
Panel Reports—New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (Board on Physics and Astronomy [BPA] and
SSB, 2011)
Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era (SSB, 2011)
Report of the Panel on Implementing Recommendations from the New Worlds, New Horizons Decadal Survey (BPA and
SSB, 2011)
Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research (Laboratory Assessments Board
[LAB] with SSB and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board [ASEB], 2010)
Controlling Cost Growth of NASA Earth and Space Science Missions (SSB, 2010)
Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth-Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Final Report (SSB with ASEB, 2010)
An Enabling Foundation for NASA’s Space and Earth Science Missions (SSB, 2010)
Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era of Space Exploration: An Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2010)
New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (BPA and SSB, 2010)
Revitalizing NASA’s Suborbital Program: Advancing Science, Driving Innovation, and Developing a Workforce (SSB, 2010)
America’s Future in Space: Aligning the Civil Space Program with National Needs (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Approaches to Future Space Cooperation and Competition in a Globalizing World: Summary of a Workshop (SSB with
ASEB, 2009)
Assessment of Planetary Protection Requirements for Mars Sample Return Missions (SSB, 2009)
Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
A Performance Assessment of NASA’s Heliophysics Program (SSB, 2009)
Radioisotope Power Systems: An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Ensuring the Climate Record from the NPOESS and GOES-R Spacecraft: Elements of a Strategy to Recover Measurement
Capabilities Lost in Program Restructuring (SSB, 2008)
Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA’s Constellation System (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
Opening New Frontiers in Space: Choices for the Next New Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity (SSB, 2008)
Science Opportunities Enabled by NASA’s Constellation System: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
Severe Space Weather Events—Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report (SSB, 2008)
Space Science and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Summary of a Workshop (SSB, 2008)
Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (SSB, 2007)
An Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars (SSB with the Board on Life Sciences [BLS], 2007)
Building a Better NASA Workforce: Meeting the Workforce Needs for the National Vision for Space Exploration (SSB with
ASEB, 2007)
Decadal Science Strategy Surveys: Report of a Workshop (SSB, 2007)
Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond (SSB, 2007)
Exploring Organic Environments in the Solar System (SSB with the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, 2007)
Grading NASA’s Solar System Exploration Program: A Midterm Review (SSB, 2007)
The Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems (SSB with BLS, 2007)
NASA’s Beyond Einstein Program: An Architecture for Implementation (SSB with BPA, 2007)
Options to Ensure the Climate Record from the NPOESS and GOES-R Spacecraft: A Workshop Report (SSB, 2007)
A Performance Assessment of NASA’s Astrophysics Program (SSB with BPA, 2007)
Portals to the Universe: The NASA Astronomy Science Centers (SSB, 2007)
The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon (SSB, 2007)
Limited copies of SSB reports are available free of charge from
Space Studies Board
National Research Council
The Keck Center of the National Academies
500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001
(202) 334-3477/ssb@nas.edu
www.nationalacademies.org/ssb/ssb.html
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COMMITTEE ON THE PLANETARY SCIENCE DECADAL SURVEY
Steering Group
STEVEN W. SQUYRES, Cornell University, Chair
LAURENCE A. SODERBLOM, U.S. Geological Survey, Vice Chair
WENDY M. CALVIN, University of Nevada, Reno
DALE CRUIKSHANK, NASA Ames Research Center
PASCALE EHRENFREUND, George Washington University
G. SCOTT HUBBARD, Stanford University
WESLEY T. HUNTRESS, JR., Carnegie Institution of Washington (retired) (until November 2009)
MARGARET G. KIVELSON, University of California, Los Angeles
B. GENTRY LEE, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
JANE LUU, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lincoln Laboratory
STEPHEN MACKWELL, Lunar and Planetary Institute
RALPH L. McNUTT, JR., Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
HARRY Y. McSWEEN, JR., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
GEORGE A. PAULIKAS, The Aerospace Corporation (retired) (from January 2010)
AMY SIMON-MILLER, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
DAVID J. STEVENSON, California Institute of Technology
A. THOMAS YOUNG, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)
Inner Planets Panel
ELLEN R. STOFAN, Proxemy Research, Inc., Chair
STEPHEN MACKWELL, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Vice Chair
BARBARA A. COHEN, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
MARTHA S. GILMORE, Wesleyan University
LORI GLAZE, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
DAVID H. GRINSPOON, Denver Museum of Nature and Science
STEVEN A. HAUCK II, Case Western Reserve University
AYANNA M. HOWARD, Georgia Institute of Technology
CHARLES K. SHEARER, University of New Mexico
DOUGLAS S. STETSON, Space Science and Exploration Consulting Group
EDWARD M. STOLPER, California Institute of Technology
ALLAN H. TREIMAN, Lunar and Planetary Institute
Mars Panel
PHILIP R. CHRISTENSEN, Arizona State University, Chair
WENDY M. CALVIN, University of Nevada, Reno, Vice Chair
RAYMOND E. ARVIDSON, Washington University
ROBERT D. BRAUN, Georgia Institute of Technology (until February 2010)
GLENN E. CUNNINGHAM, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (retired)
DAVID DES MARAIS, NASA Ames Research Center (until August 2010)
LINDA T. ELKINS-TANTON, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
FRANCOIS FORGET, Université de Paris 6
JOHN P. GROTZINGER, California Institute of Technology
PENELOPE KING, University of New Mexico
v
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PHILIPPE LOGNONNE, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
PAUL R. MAHAFFY, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
LISA M. PRATT, Indiana University
Giant Planets Panel
HEIDI B. HAMMEL, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., Chair
AMY SIMON-MILLER, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Vice Chair
RETA F. BEEBE, New Mexico State University
JOHN R. CASANI, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
JOHN CLARKE, Boston University
BRIGETTE HESMAN, University of Maryland
WILLIAM B. HUBBARD, University of Arizona
MARK S. MARLEY, NASA Ames Research Center
PHILIP D. NICHOLSON, Cornell University
R. WAYNE RICHIE, NASA Langley Research Center (retired)
KUNIO M. SAYANAGI, California Institute of Technology
Satellites Panel
JOHN SPENCER, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Chair
DAVID J. STEVENSON, California Institute of Technology, Vice Chair
GLENN FOUNTAIN, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
CAITLIN ANN GRIFFITH, University of Arizona
KRISHAN KHURANA, University of California, Los Angeles
CHRISTOPHER P. McKAY, NASA Ames Research Center
FRANCIS NIMMO, University of California, Santa Cruz
LOUISE M. PROCKTER, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
GERALD SCHUBERT, University of California, Los Angeles
THOMAS R. SPILKER, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
ELIZABETH P. TURTLE, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
J. HUNTER WAITE, JR., Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio
Primitive Bodies Panel
JOSEPH F. VEVERKA, Cornell University, Chair
HARRY Y. McSWEEN, JR., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Vice Chair
ERIK ASPHAUG, University of California, Santa Cruz
MICHAEL E. BROWN, California Institute of Technology
DONALD E. BROWNLEE, University of Washington
MARC BUIE, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder
TIMOTHY J. McCOY, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History
MARC D. RAYMAN, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
EDWARD REYNOLDS, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
MARK SEPHTON, Imperial College London
JESSICA SUNSHINE, University of Maryland
FAITH VILAS, Planetary Science Institute
vi
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Staff
DAVID H. SMITH, Senior Program Officer, Study Director
DWAYNE DAY, Senior Program Officer
ABIGAIL SHEFFER, Associate Program Officer
CATHERINE A. GRUBER, Editor
DIONNA WILLIAMS, Program Associate
LEWIS GROSWALD, Research Associate
RODNEY HOWARD, Senior Program Assistant
ELENA AMADOR, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern (2009)
GABRIELE BETANCOURT-MARTINEZ, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern (2010)
JORDAN BOCK, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern (2009)
DARA FISHER, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern (2010)
ABIGAIL FRAEMAN, Space Policy Intern (2009)
ANDREAS FRICK, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern (2010)
ANGIE WOLFGANG, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern (2009)
MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director, Space Studies Board
vii
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SPACE STUDIES BOARD
CHARLES F. KENNEL, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, Chair
JOHN KLINEBERG, Space Systems/Loral (retired), Vice Chair
MARK R. ABBOTT, Oregon State University
STEVEN J. BATTEL, Battel Engineering
YVONNE C. BRILL, Aerospace Consultant
ELIZABETH R. CANTWELL, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
ANDREW B. CHRISTENSEN, Dixie State College and Aerospace Corporation
ALAN DRESSLER, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution
JACK D. FELLOWS, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
HEIDI B. HAMMEL, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.
FIONA A. HARRISON, California Institute of Technology
ANTHONY C. JANETOS, University of Maryland
JOAN JOHNSON-FREESE, Naval War College
ROBERT P. LIN, University of California, Berkeley
MOLLY K. MACAULEY, Resources for the Future
JOHN F. MUSTARD, Brown University
ROBERT T. PAPPALARDO, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
JAMES PAWELCZYK, Pennsylvania State University
MARCIA J. RIEKE, University of Arizona
DAVID N. SPERGEL, Princeton University
WARREN M. WASHINGTON, National Center for Atmospheric Research
CLIFFORD M. WILL, Washington University
THOMAS H. ZURBUCHEN, University of Michigan
MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director (from April 1, 2010)
RICHARD E. ROWBERG, Interim Director (from March 2, 2009, to March 31, 2010)
MARCIA S. SMITH, Director (until March 1, 2009)
CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Coordinator
TANJA PILZAK, Manager, Program Operations
CELESTE A. NAYLOR, Information Management Associate
CHRISTINA O. SHIPMAN, Financial Officer
SANDRA WILSON, Financial Assistant
viii
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Preface
Strategic planning activities within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) draw heavily on reports
issued by the National Research Council (NRC), particularly those from the Space Studies Board (SSB). Prime
among these SSB inputs is identification of priority science and missions in the so-called decadal surveys. The
first true decadal strategy for the planetary sciences, New Frontiers in the Solar System: An Integrated Explora-
tion Strategy, was published in 2003. That comprehensive study canvassed planetary science activities, listed the
key science questions, and recommended specific spacecraft missions for the period 2003-2013. Supplemented
by several subsequent SSB studies—for example, Opening New Frontiers in Space: Choices for the Next New
Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity (2008), The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon (2007), and
Grading NASA’s Solar System Exploration Program: A Midterm Report (2007)—the 2003 report provided key
guidance for SMD’s planetary science programs during the first decade of the 21st century.
The successful implementation of many of the missions recommended in the preceding studies, combined
with important discoveries by a variety of ground- and space-based research activities, created the demand for a
second decadal survey of the planetary sciences. Thus, in December 2008, Edward J. Weiler, NASA’s associate
administrator for SMD, requested that a new decadal strategy study be initiated (Appendix A). Moreover, the
request was seconded by the leadership of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Division of Astronomical
Sciences. Specific tasks outlined in the request included the following:
• An overview of planetary science—what it is, why it is a compelling undertaking, and the relationship
between space- and ground-based planetary science research;
• A broad survey of the current state of knowledge of the solar system;
• An inventory of the top-level science questions that should guide flight programs and supporting research
programs;
• Recommendations on the optimum balance among small, medium, and large missions and supporting
activities;
• An assessment of NSF-supported infrastructure;
• A discussion of strategic technology development needs and opportunities;
• A prioritized list of major flight investigations in the New Frontiers and larger classes recommended for
initiation over the decade 2013-2022;
ix
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x PREFACE
• Recommendations for supporting research required to maximize the science return from the flight inves-
tigations; and
• A discussion of the opportunities for conducting science investigations involving humans in situ and the
value of human-tended investigations relative to those performed solely robotically.
In response to this request, the NRC appointed the Committee on the Planetary Science Decadal Survey,
consisting of a 16-member steering group and 54 additional experts organized into five topical panels. For reasons
of consistency and continuity, the panels were organized according to planetary objects—that is, inner planets
(Mercury, Venus, and the Moon), Mars, giant planets, satellites of the giant planets, and primitive bodies—as in the
2003 planetary decadal survey. Unlike the 2003 survey, however, the present survey omits an astrobiology panel;
instead, individuals with appropriate expertise were distributed among the five named panels.
The study was formally initiated at a meeting of the steering group held in Washington, D.C., on July 6-8,
2009. Work continued at meetings held in Irvine, California (November 16-18, 2009, and February 22-24, 2010)
and concluded with additional meetings in Washington, D.C. (July 13-15 and August 3-4, 2010). In parallel with
these meetings, the committee’s five supporting panels held their own information-gathering and deliberative
meetings. Each panel met three times:
• Inner Planets Panel—August 26-28, 2009 (Washington, D.C.), October 26-28, 2009 (Irvine, California),
and April 21-23, 2010 (Boulder, Colorado);
• Mars Panel—September 9-11, 2009 (Tempe, Arizona), November 4-6, 2009 (Pasadena, California), and
April 14-16, 2010 (Boulder, Colorado);
• Giant Planets Panel—August 24-26, 2009 (Washington, D.C.), October 26-28, 2009 (Irvine, California),
and May 5-7, 2010 (Boston, Massachusetts);
• Satellites Panel—August 24-26, 2009 (Washington, D.C.), September 21-23, 2009 (Irvine, California), and
April 12-14, 2010 (Boulder, Colorado); and
• Primitive Bodies Panel—September 9-11, 2009 (Washington, D.C.), October 28-30, 2009 (Irvine, California),
and April 26-28, 2010 (Knoxville, Tennessee).
The committee made extensive use of teleconferences, e-mail, and password-protected websites to facilitate
its work. Moreover to ensure the widest possible community participation in the committee’s meetings, all were
webcast thanks to technical assistance provided by the NASA Astrobiology Institute.
The planetary science community is extremely diverse in its geographic distribution, scientific interests,
research techniques and approaches, and institutional affiliations. Thus, it was clear from the study’s initiation that
the committee must successfully reflect the interests of this community and that, to achieve a broad consensus of
opinion in support of the survey’s recommendations, it would be necessary to solicit and consider a wide variety
of inputs from the scientific community, from NASA and NSF and their respective advisory committees, from
other government agencies, from major universities and research institutes, and from the interested public. Such
inputs were obtained through oral presentations made to the committee, through webcasts, and through numerous
public forums and town hall sessions at major national and international community meetings, and by stimulating
the drafting of a total of 199 community-authored white papers on a wide range of scientific subjects that covered
essentially all topics within the decadal survey’s purview.* To ensure that the white papers would receive appropri-
ate consideration, the committee requested that they be available no later than September 15, 2009, that is, prior
to the steering group’s and panels’ second meetings.
The panels were responsible for preparing a broad survey of the current state of knowledge of the solar system
and for identifying the key science questions and measurement objectives most appropriate for being addressed in
the period 2013-2022. The panels also assessed current research programs and infrastructure managed by NASA
* The contributed papers are listed in Appendix B and are available at http://www8.nationalacademies.org/ssbsurvey/publicview.aspx.
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xi
PREFACE
and NSF. Finally, using information in the white papers and from other community inputs, the panels identified
important spacecraft missions capable of addressing key science questions for those planetary bodies within their
respective purviews.
To ensure that the identified mission concepts were sufficiently mature for subsequent evaluation and prioriti-
zation, the committee commissioned detailed technical studies from several leading design centers, including the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory. One or more “science champions,” drawn from the ranks of the panels, was attached to each
center’s study team to ensure that the concepts remained true to the science and measurement objectives of their
originating panel. In addition, four detailed studies of key technologies were also conducted at the panels’ request.
For details on the mission and technology reports completed, see Appendix G.
Prior decadal surveys in planetary and other space sciences have been criticized for not paying appropriate
attention to the fiscal and technical realism of recommended missions. To rectify this shortcoming and to be
responsive to the statement of task’s call for “independent and expert cost analysis,” the NRC contracted with the
Aerospace Corporation to provide cost and technical evaluations (see Appendix C) of a priority subset of missions
studied by the design centers.
Finally, the panels’ various scientific inputs, assessments, and recommendations for new ground- and space-
based initiatives were integrated by the steering group. The integration and overall prioritization of new spacecraft
initiatives were heavily influenced by the cost and technical evaluations provided by the Aerospace Corporation.
Final drafts of the five panel reports were completed in August 2010. The steering group assembled the first
full draft of this survey report in September. The text was sent to external reviewers in early October, was revised
between December 2010 and February 2011, and was formally approved for release by the NRC on February 23,
2011. A version of this report in prepublication form was released to NASA and NSF on February 25, 2011, and
to the public on March 7, 2011. This, the final printed version of the report, supersedes the prepublication report.
The work of the committee was made easier thanks to the important help given by individuals too numerous
to list, at a variety of public and private organizations, who made presentations at committee meetings, drafted
white papers, and participated in missions studies. In addition, the following graduate students greatly assisted
the work of the committee by taking notes at meetings: Michael Busch, Serina Diniega, Adrienne Dove, Raina
Gough, Scott Guzewich, Paul Hayne, Robert Lossing, Kennda Lynch, Andrew Poppe, Kelsi Singer, and Patrick
Whelley. Finally, the committee acknowledges the exceptionally important contributions made by the following
individuals at the Aerospace Corporation: Randy Persinger (team leader), Mark Barrera, Dave Bearden, Mark
Cowdin, Shirin Eftekharzadeh, Debra Emmons, Matt Hart, Robert Kellogg, Eric Mahr, Mark Mueller, Geoffrey
Reber, and Carl Rice.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and techni-
cal expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of
this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its
published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity,
evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential
to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: Charles Alcock,
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Kyle T. Alfriend, Texas A&M University; Fran Bagenal, University
of Colorado; Richard P. Binzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Roger D. Blandford, Stanford University;
Joseph A. Burns, Cornell University; Athena Coustenis, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon; Victoria E. Hamilton,
Southwest Research Institute; Harald Hiesinger, Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat; Andrew Ingersoll, California
Institute of Technology; N. Jeremy Kasdin, Princeton University; Eugene H. Levy, Rice University; Jonathan I.
Lunine, University of Rome Tor Vergata; Alfred McEwen, University of Arizona; John F. Mustard, Brown Uni-
versity; Keith Noll, Space Telescope Science Institute; Carlé Pieters, Brown University; and Daniel Scheeres,
University of Colorado.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were
not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before
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xii PREFACE
its release. The review of this report was overseen by Richard A. McCray, University of Colorado, Boulder, and
Bernard F. Burke, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were
responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with
institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content
of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
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Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
SUMMARY 9
1 INTRODUCTION TO PLANETARY SCIENCE 31
The Motivations for Planetary Science, 31
The 2003 Solar System Exploration Decadal Survey, 32
Recent Achievements in Planetary Science, 38
Scope of This Report, 44
Organization of This Report, 46
Notes and References, 49
2 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS IN PLANETARY SCIENCE 51
Relationships Between Planetary Science Programs at NASA and NSF, 51
Relationships to Other NASA Science Programs, 52
Relationships to Other NSF Programs, 56
Relationship to NASA’s Human Exploration Program, 56
International Cooperation in Planetary Science, 63
Notes and References, 67
3 PRIORITY QUESTIONS IN PLANETARY SCIENCE FOR THE NEXT DECADE 69
Crosscutting Themes, 69
Priority Questions, 69
Building New Worlds: Understanding Solar System Beginnings, 72
Planetary Habitats: Searching for the Requirements of Life, 75
Workings of Solar Systems: Revealing Planetary Processes Through Time, 78
References, 83
xiii
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xiv CONTENTS
4 THE PRIMITIVE BODIES: BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM 87
Science Goals for the Study of Primitive Bodies, 88
Decipher the Record in Primitive Bodies of Epochs and Processes Not Obtainable Elsewhere, 88
Understand the Role of Primitive Bodies as Building Blocks for Planets and Life, 93
Interconnections, 97
Supporting Research and Related Activities, 98
Instrumentation and Infrastructure, 98
Advancing Studies of the Primitive Bodies, 100
Notes and References, 108
5 THE INNER PLANETS: THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING EARTH-LIKE WORLDS 111
Science Goals for the Study of Mercury, Venus, and the Moon, 112
Understand the Origin and Diversity of Terrestrial Planets, 113
Understand How the Evolution of Terrestrial Planets Enables and Limits the Origin and Evolution
of Life, 117
Understand the Processes That Control Climate on Earth-Like Planets, 121
Interconnections, 124
Supporting Research and Related Activities, 126
Technology Development, 126
Advancing Studies of the Inner Planets, 126
Notes and References, 134
6 MARS: EVOLUTION OF AN EARTH-LIKE WORLD 137
Science Goals for the Study of Mars, 141
Determine If Life Ever Arose on Mars, 142
Understand the Processes and History of Climate, 147
Determine the Evolution of the Surface and Interior, 151
Interconnections, 156
Importance of Mars Sample Return, 157
Supporting Research and Related Activities, 161
Technology Development, 162
Instrumentation and Infrastructure, 163
Advancing Studies of Mars, 164
References, 168
7 THE GIANT PLANETS: LOCAL LABORATORIES AND 175
GROUND TRUTH FOR PLANETS BEYOND
Science Goals for the Study of Giant Planets, 176
Giant Planets as Ground Truth for Exoplanets, 178
Giant Planets’ Role in Promoting a Habitable Planetary System, 190
Giant Planets as Laboratories for Properties and Processes on Earth, 193
Interconnections, 199
Supporting Research and Related Activities, 202
Instrumentation and Infrastructure, 202
Advancing Studies of the Giant Planets, 205
Note and References, 209
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xv
CONTENTS
8 SATELLITES: ACTIVE WORLDS AND EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS 217
Science Goals for Studies of Planetary Satellites, 220
How Did the Satellites of the Outer Solar System Form and Evolve?, 220
What Processes Control the Present-Day Behavior of These Bodies?, 227
What Are the Processes That Result in Habitable Environments?, 237
Interconnections, 240
Supporting Research and Related Activities, 241
Instrumentation and Infrastructure, 241
Advancing Studies of the Satellites of the Giant Planets, 242
Notes and References, 252
9 RECOMMENDED FLIGHT INVESTIGATIONS: 2013-2022 257
Criteria for Judging Mission and Related Priorities, 257
Underlying Programmatic Requirements, 257
Missions Recommended Previously and Cost Considerations, 259
Mission Study Process and Cost and Technical Evaluation, 260
Definition of Mission Cost Classes, 260
Balance Among Mission Cost Classes, 261
Small Missions, 262
Prioritized Medium- and Large-Class Flight Missions: 2013-2022, 265
Example Flight Programs for the Decade 2013-2022, 272
Deferred High-Priority Missions, 275
Launch Vehicle Costs, 276
The Need for Plutonium-238, 278
Opportunities for Intra-Agency, Interagency, and International Collaboration, 280
Notes and References, 281
10 PLANETARY SCIENCE RESEARCH AND INFRASTRUCTURE 283
Supporting Research and Related Activities at NASA, 283
NASA Instrumentation and Infrastructure, 290
Supporting Research and Related Activities at NSF, 297
NSF Instrumentation and Infrastructure, 297
Notes and References, 301
11 THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN 303
PLANETARY EXPLORATION
Technology: Portal into the Solar System, 303
Technology Needs, 306
Recommended Technology Investments, 310
12 A LOOK TO THE FUTURE 313
Preparing for the Next Planetary Decadal Survey, 313
Note and Reference, 314
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xvi CONTENTS
APPENDIXES
A Letter of Request and Statement of Task 317
B List of Planetary Science Community White Papers Contributed 323
C Cost and Technical Evaluation of Priority Missions 331
D Other Missions Considered 355
E Decadal Planning Wedge for NASA’s Planetary Science Division 369
F Glossary, Abbreviations, and Acronyms 371
G Mission and Technology Study Reports* 381
* NASA initiated mission studies and technology studies in support of this decadal survey. These reports are available at http://sites.
nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_059331 and are supplied (unedited) on a CD, and not in printed form, with the final published report.
