Space probes have visited Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury. Jupiter's moon even has its own rover. Unfortunately, the ice giants Uranus and Neptune were neglected. Located far away in our Solar System, these two planets have never been specifically visited and studied.
In a new report outlining the top priorities for planetary science and astrobiology, a panel of experts from the US National Academies suggested that this omission be corrected. For initiation in the next decade, the committee of experts placed the investigation of Uranus as a top priority as the next planetary exploration mission.
The report is titled Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032. This is a decade's most important survey prepared by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at the request of NASA, to identify the most important scientific targets of the coming decade. And now, perhaps the time has come for Uranus to visit.
"The committee prioritized the Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) as the new Flagship mission with the highest priority for initiation in the decade 2023-2032," the committee wrote in its report, as quoted from Science Alert, Thursday (21/4/2022).
The probe, according to the report, will tour Uranus' orbit for years to investigate its atmosphere. The mission will provide unprecedented information about the ice giant in general, and Uranus and its moons in particular, which are among the most interesting and mysterious primary objects in the Solar System.
Oddities on Uranus
Without a doubt, Uranus is truly strange and unique. It is the only planet in the Solar System that is tilted sideways, so that its axis of rotation is almost parallel to the plane of its orbit. Uranus also "leaks" all over the place, so its magnetic field is a complete mess. It also has a ring unlike any other in the Solar System, and it even emits mysterious X-rays.
All of this, the committee noted, suggests that Uranus needs significant investigation, not only in its own interest, but for a better understanding of the evolutionary history of the entire Solar System, especially since the last probe to approach the planet was Voyager 2 on its flyby in 1986. The team of experts has identified several possible launches in the 2030s, with the earliest estimated at 2031.
"Uranus is one of the most interesting bodies in the Solar System. Its low internal energy, active atmospheric dynamics, and complex magnetic field all present a major enigma," the scientists wrote.
According to them, the primordial giant collision may have produced the extreme axial tilt of the planet and possibly its rings and satellites, although this is uncertain. Uranus' massive icy moons offer surprising evidence of geological activity in the limited Voyager 2 flyby data, and are a potential marine world.
The marine world is of great interest to astrobiologists. Scientists believe that on the seafloor of these geologically active bodies, volcanic vents allowed entire ecosystems based on chemosynthetic food webs to develop, such as hydrothermal vents on Earth.
These bodies, some of which have been identified in the Solar System, are the most promising candidates for finding life beyond Earth.
On that note, the committee identified the marine world of Enceladus, Saturn's moon, as its second-highest priority, with a mission called Enceladus Orbilander. This ice-covered body has been observed emitting plumes of steam into space from its inner ocean. This sampling can assess the habitability of Enceladus' oceans, and may even detect signs of life deep within.
This may be a long way forward to achieving any or all of these goals. But remember that the journey to stardom begins with small steps.
"This report sets out an ambitious but practical vision for advancing the frontiers of planetary science, astrobiology, and planetary defense in the next decade," said astrophysicist Robin Canup of Planetary Sciences.