Which Mission Would you Like to See Funded

[Woggles]

I just finish reading this article, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryla ... 6770.story. I know old news for some. I like to know which mission would you like to see funded?

1) One of the three is SAGE, for Surface and Atmospheric Geochemical Explorer. It would release a probe to the surface of Venus, where it must survive 840-degree temperatures and 90 times Earth's atmospheric pressure long enough to gather clues to the planet's early history.

2) The second proposed mission, called OSIRIS-REx, would send a spacecraft to orbit an asteroid. The craft would then settle onto the space rock, retrieve a sample from its surface and return it to Earth.

3) The third mission in the final New Frontiers competition is MoonRise. It would send a lander to the moon's south pole, collect two pounds of soil and return it to Earth.

Paul

 

[kelvinzero]

Did you mean to create this as a poll?

I am more interested in the lunar mission since now that we have discovered water there, getting a better look could be very useful for discovering whether we can usefully exploit it for a permanent base.

 

[Woggles]

Hi kelvinzero

I'm new here so not sure what's what lol.

I agree with you about the moon. I just hope it become a focus for NASA. I guess at this point it is still a wait and see.

 

[titanian]

I like the Venus mission. A balloon on Venus could do a great job!
The underground of Venus may be an interesting place exobiologically speaking and I wouldn't be surprised if there were subsurface lakes and rivers inside the crust of Venus.
Venus is the twin sister of planet Earth!

 

[bdewoody]

I like the Venus mission. A balloon on Venus could do a great job!
The underground of Venus may be an interesting place exobiologically speaking and I wouldn't be surprised if there were subsurface lakes and rivers inside the crust of Venus.
Venus is the twin sister of planet Earth!

Maybe her evil twin sister. After watching a program on the Science Channel about the possibilities of living on the other planets of the solar system the idea of building a cloud city above Venus did seem plausible. But I think the possibility of finding native life on or below the surface of Venus is highly unlikely as there is no known water.

My hope is that the recent discoveries about the moon makes it our focus for human space flight and off world bases. Once we are firmly established on the moon the rest of the solar system will be easy to master. The moon should be our space station after the ISS has completed it's mission.

 

[Woggles]

My hope is that the recent discoveries about the moon makes it our focus for human space flight and off world bases. Once we are firmly established on the moon the rest of the solar system will be easy to master. The moon should be our space station after the ISS has completed it's mission.

I couldn't agree more with you!!! I step at a time. I think once governments had made this commitment, then private enterprise could take over. So the next step can be taken. So on and so on we go. Next stop Mars, well I hope any ways!!

Paul

 

[Boris_Badenov]

My vote is for a Lunar Mining Base that focuses on mining platinum. Building a Nuclear Thermal powered cycler to make the trip back & forth would be Icing on the cake too.

 

[CalliArcale]

There are just so many good missions to choose from, but I think the ones I'm most excited about are:

* Europa lander
* Neptune orbiter

 

[barnesbabb]

A new mission to titan would be the best thing for discoveries in my opinion, since its the only planet with a weather cycle of evaporating liquids and some form of rain.

Or any mission to Enceladus or Europa.

 

[marcel_leonard]

I just finish reading this article, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryla ... 6770.story. I know old news for some. I like to know which mission would you like to see funded?

1) One of the three is SAGE, for Surface and Atmospheric Geochemical Explorer. It would release a probe to the surface of Venus, where it must survive 840-degree temperatures and 90 times Earth's atmospheric pressure long enough to gather clues to the planet's early history.

2) The second proposed mission, called OSIRIS-REx, would send a spacecraft to orbit an asteroid. The craft would then settle onto the space rock, retrieve a sample from its surface and return it to Earth.

3) The third mission in the final New Frontiers competition is MoonRise. It would send a lander to the moon's south pole, collect two pounds of soil and return it to Earth.

Paul

I would have to go w/ No. 3.) Because until we find water we aren't going anywhere anytime soon...

 

[ramparts]

Europa lander and a gravitational wave observer.

 

[silylene]

An unmanned lunar rover to the recently discovered hole which was punched into the roof of an apparent lava tube, and this rover would be able to lower on a wire an assembly containing a camera/light/sampler/water tester . I'd love to see what's in a lunar cave system!

This mission is technically doable today with the boosters we have, and would be low cost.

I'd also like to point out that this cave is in perpetual darkness, should be very cold, and might contain deposits of ice. The sidewalls of the tunnel might be layered, and teach us much about the history of this maria.

 

[3488]

I'm with silylene 100% with his suggestion.

I too would love to see the lunar lava cave systems be explored. Mars has them & in all likelihood Mercury, Venus & the Jupiter moon Io too.

I would also welcome a very long duration Jupiter orbiter that makes many close passes of all four of the Galilean moons, perhaps even a pass or two of the little known suspected captured asteroid outer moons.

Calli's suggestion of a Neptune Orbiter (like Galileo or Cassini) is also a blinder, something I would love to see happen, a similar Uranus one would not go amis either.

Landers on Mercury, all four of the Galileans, Titan, Enceladus, Triton & many more locations on Venus, Mars & the Moon. Perhaps 1 Ceres, 2 Pallas & 4 Vesta (dependent on DAWN's observations at 4 Vesta & 1 Ceres).

Andrew Brown.

 

[moreandless]

Although i love to dream big, otherwise what's the point...
silylene has hit upon it, the possibility of safe habitation while the equipment
is being shaken-down is essential. H20 and Oxygen production ,unmanned resupply like ISS
the price of progress? surrender our fears!