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OPAGUpdatetothePlanetaryScienceAdvisoryCommi9ee(PAC)JeffMoore,OPAGChair,NASAARC,PACMee5ng,10March2020

Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Charter

https://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/ •  NASA'scommunity-basedforumtoprovidescience

inputforplanningandpriori5zingouterplanetexplora5onac5vi5esforthenextseveraldecades

•  Evaluatesoutersolarsystemexplora5ongoals,objec5ves,inves5ga5onsandrequiredmeasurementsonthebasisofthewidestpossiblecommunityoutreach

•  Meetstwiceperyear,summerandwinter–  Nextmee5ng:tenta5vely1-3Sept2020inSeaQle,WA

•  OPAGdocumentsareinputstotheDecadalSurveys•  OPAGandSmallBodiesAssessmentGroup(SBAG)haveJointcustodyofPlutosystemandotherplanetsamongKuiperBeltObjects

KBOplanets

OPAG Steering Committee

JeffMooreOPAGChair

AmesResearchCenter

LindaSpilkerOPAGVice-ChairJetPropulsionLab

KathleenMandt*AppliedPhysicsLaboratory

AlfredMcEwenUniversityofArizona

LynnaeQuick*NASAGoddard

*=NewMember

KunioSayanagiHamptonUniversity

TomSpilker*Consultant

BritneySchmidtGeorgiaIns5tuteofTechnology

AbigailRymer*AppliedPhysicsLab

OPAG Steering Committee

MorganCable*JetPropulsionLab

*=NewMember

AmandaHendrixPlanetaryScienceIns5tute

ScoQEdgingtonJetPropulsionLab

MarkHofstadterJetPropulsionLab

TerryHurfordGoddardSpaceFlightCenter

OPAG Steering Committee

CarolPatyGeorgiaIns5tuteofTechnology

RecentandUpcomingOPAG-relatedMee@ngs•  OPAGMee@ng(3-4February2020)LunarandPlanetaryIns5tute,Universi5es

SpaceResearchAssocia5on(USRA)3600BayAreaBlvd,Houston,TX•  JointVEXAG/OPAG/ExoPAGmee2ng(4-7February2020),LunarandPlanetary

Ins5tute,Houston,TX

UpcomingMee2ngs:•  OuterPlanetsAssessmentGroup(OPAG)TownHall,LunarandPlanetaryScience

Conf.noon,18March2020,The.Woodlands,Houston,TX:CANCELED(possibleremotebroadcastTBD)

•  OPAGMee@ng(tenta5vely1-3September2020)SeaQle,WA,possiblyheldatUniversityofWashington

SomeKeyAc@vi@essinceLastPACMee@ng•  IoVolcanoObserver(IVO)selectedforfurtherDiscoveryMissionstudy.AlfredMcEwen(PI)

•  TRIDENTselectedforfurtherDiscoveryMissionstudy.LouiseProckter(PI)

•  JunoProbeCompleted25thOrbitofJupiter•  EuropaClippercompletedPDRprogressingtowardslaunchNLT2025

•  JUICEprogressingtowards2022launch•  3OuterPlanetmissionstudiesfortheDecadalSurveyselectedviaROSES

•  OPAGCommi9eeWhitePaperposted

NewFron@ershasbeengoodforexplora@onofOuterPlanets•  Missionsfromthe1stDecadalsurvey:

–  NewHorizons–  Juno

•  Approvedcandidatemissionsin2ndDecadal(V&V)tooutersolarsystem:–  SaturnProbe–  OceanWorlds:EnceladusandTitan–  DragonflytoTitanselectedforNF-4

•  OPAGsupportskeepingIoObserverandOceanWorldsinNF-5,alongwithSaturnProbe

•  IfIVOisselectedforDiscovery,thentheremightbenoIoObserverproposalssubmiQedtoNF-5,similartowhathappenedwiththeTrojanmissionakerLucywasselected.

•  AlthoughDragonflywasselectedforNF-4,OPAGsupportskeepingEnceladusasanop5onforNF-5

Dragonfly

OPAGGoalsDocument:2019(consistentwithourjust-postedWhitePaper)

•  FirstdrakwriQenin2006,recentlypostedupdate:August2019•  RevisedIntroduc5on

–  OceanWorldsemphasis,butnottheonlyemphasis•  Recentsec5ons:

–  PlanetsintheKuiperBelt–  OceanWorldsandtheSearchforLife–  OPAGRelevancetoWorldsnotintheOuterSolarSystem–  TelescopicObserva5ons– WorkforceIssues–  SummaryRecommenda5onsforNextDecadalSurvey

•  OPAGsciencepriori5esaddresstherelevantsubset(8/10)ofthekeyques5onsfromVisionandVoyages

•  Documentposted:hQps://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/goals-08-28-19.pdf

Scien@ficGoalsforExplora@onoftheOuterSolarSystemExploreOuterPlanetSystemsandOceanWorlds

EXECUTIVESUMMARY1.0INTRODUCTION1.1TheOuterSolarSysteminVision

andVoyages1.2NewEmphasissincetheDecadal

Survey:ExploringOceanWorlds2.0GIANTPLANETSINOURSOLARSYSTEM2.1JupiterandSaturn2.2UranusandNeptune3.0GIANTPLANETMAGNETOSPHERES4.0GIANTPLANETRINGSYSTEMS5.0GIANTPLANETS’MOONS5.1Pris5ne/Primi5ve(LessEvolved?)

Satellites’Objec5ves5.2GanymedeScienceObjec5ves5.3EuropaScienceObjec5ves

5.4IoScienceObjec5ves5.5EnceladusScienceObjec5ves5.6TitanScienceObjec5ves5.7TritonScienceObjec5ves6.0PLANETSINTHEKUIPERBELT7.0OCEANWORLDSANDTHESEARCHFOR

LIFE7.1OceanWorlds:Understanding

OceansandHabitabilityWorlds8.0OPAGRELEVANCETOWORLDSNOTIN

THEOUTERSOLARSYSTEM9.0TECHNOLOGY10.0TELESCOPICOBSERVATIONS11.0WORKFORCEISSUES12.0SUMMARYRECOMMENDATIONSFOR

NEXTDECADALSURVEYKeyReferences

NewSec5onsinGreen

PurposesofOPAGGoalsDocument•  Describesthescienceobjec5vesforexplora5onofoutersolarsystem•  Consistentwiththe2013DecadalSurvey“VisionandVoyages”butkeptup-to-dateasnewmissionsareapproved,newdiscoveriesaremade,modelsevolve,ourunderstandingofsolarsystemprocesseschanges,andnewques5onsareposed.

•  Willbeusedasaresourcefordefiningtechnologydevelopmentdirec5onsandneededlaboratoryexperiments,modeling,andotherresearch

•  Resourceformissionandinstrumentscienceobjec5ves•  Guidesourprepara5onfortheoutersolarsystempor5onofthenextdecadalsurvey–  Includingmissionstudiesbeingdoneinprepara5onforthatsurvey.

•  Theemphasisforfutureexplora1onoftheoutersolarsystemistounderstandgiantplanetsystemsandoceanworlds

PriorityTechnologiesforOPAG•  Currentorrecentprogramsareadvancinginstrumenta5on:

–  InstrumentConceptsforEuropaExplora5on(ICEE),Homesteader,ColdTech,ICEE-2(forEuropaLander),inaddi5ontoPICASSOandMatISSE

•  TechnologydevelopmentforelectricpowerisahighprioritytoOPAG–  NASAhassuspendeddevelopmentoftheeMMRTG,thepowersourcebaselinedinmul5plerecentstudiesof

outersolarsystemmissionconcepts;developmentcon5nuesontheNextGenRTG–  InV&VDecadalSurvey,thehighestpriorityformul5-missiontechnologyinvestmentwasamoreefficient

radioisotopepower(wasASRGs,theneMMRTG;nowNextGenRTG)–  HighefficiencyLILTsolarcellscandecreaseareaandmassforallsolarmissions.–  LightweightsolararraystructureshelpatJupiter(andpoten5allySaturn)

•  Roll-OutSolarArrays(ROSA)recentlydemonstratedonSpaceSta5on•  Technologydevelopmentisurgentlyneededforpoten2alOceanWorldsMissionssuchasEuropaLander

–  Includingminiaturiza2onandnewlifedetec2oninstrumenta2on•  Con2nuedevelopingthetechnologiesneededforIceGiantmission–HEEET;lowpower,highdatarateKa-band

Telecommunica5onsystems;andNextGenRTG,onascheduleconsistentwithpublishedlaunchopportuni5estoNeptuneviaaJupitergravityassist

OPAGFindingsFebruary3-4,2020Mee@ng1.EuropaClipper.OPAGapplaudstheprogresstheEuropaClipperteamismakingtowarditsCri5calDesignReview(CDR)thiscomingAugust,andthetransparencyshownbytheteamthatmissiondevelopment’scostreservesarerunningverylow.Thereserve,quan5fiedasUnallocatedFutureExpenses,reached12%inNovember2019eventhoughitmettheJPL-required25%asofJune2019.Theprojectteamhasbeenabletorecons5tutesomeofthereserveamountrequiredaheadofitsCDR,butthereisdangerthatthissavingseffortwillfallshort,threateningthemission’sscience.NASAshouldrecognizethescien5ficimportanceoftheen5reEuropaClipperpayload,andstrivetoflythefullscienceinstrumentsuitetobestachievethemissionobjec5ves.Finding1.OPAGisconcernedaboutthefastdrainonthecostreserves.OPAGrecognizesthescien5ficimportanceofflyingtheen5reEuropaClippersciencepayloads,andurgesNASAtominimizetheimpactofthelowcostreservesonthescienceinves5ga5ons.

OPAGFindingsFebruary3-4,2020Mee@ng2.IcySatelliteTechnologysupport.OPAGstronglysupportstechnologydevelopmentprogramsthatinvestinfutureOceanWorldsinsituexplora5on(similarinscopetotheICEEprogram).OPAGunderstandsthattheFY2020congressionalbudgetincludesfundingforIcySatellitetechnologydevelopment.OPAGwouldliketoknowtheopera5ngplanforthisbudgetlineitem.Finding2.OPAGsupportsinvestmentinfutureOceanWorldsinsitutechnologydevelopment.OPAGwouldlikeareportontheopera5ngplanfortheIcySatellitetechnologydevelopmentlineitemlistedintheFY2020congressionalbudget.

OPAGFindingsFebruary3-4,2020Mee@ng3.ExpandingRCNtootherareasofplanetaryscience.OPAGcommendsNASAfortheoutstandingimpactthatprogramsliketheNASAAstrobiologyIns5tuteandthenewResearchCoordina5onNetworks(RCN)haveforbuildingupastrongastrobiologycommunitythatisac5velyadvancingthesearchforlifeinthesolarsystemandbeyond.TheseeffortshaveledtothedevelopmentofgroundbreakingmissionconceptsandhavebenefiQedadiversecommunityofresearcherseagertoanswertheques5onofwhetherwearealoneintheuniverse.OPAGencouragesNASAtobuildonthissuccessbyexpandingRCNopportuni5estootherplanetarysciencecommuni5es.Inpar5cular,aGiantPlanetSystemScienceRCNwouldprovideopportuni5esforinterdisciplinarycoordina5onamongmembersoftheOPAGcommunitywhohaveexploredtheJupiterandSaturnsystemsonmissionslikeGalileo,Cassini,andJuno,andwhoareeagertoconductresearch(Voyagerdataanalysis,theore5calresearch,andlaboratorystudies)relevanttofutureexplora5onoftheIceGiantsystems.Finding3.OPAGcommendstheoutstandingsuccessofNASAAstrobiologyprogramsforbuildingastronginterdisciplinarycommunityadvancingthesearchforlifeintheuniverse.OPAGencouragesNASAtoexpandonthismodelbycrea5nganewRCNforGiantPlanetSystemScience.

OPAGFindingsFebruary3-4,2020Mee@ng4.Dual-anonymousreview.OPAGapplaudsNASA’sexplora5onofthedual-anonymousreviewprocesstoaddressdiversity/biasissues.OPAGnotesthattechnologyprograms,par5cularlyinstrumentdevelopmentopportuni5es,areapar5cularchallengeforPrincipalInves5gatorsfromdiverseandintersec5onalbackgrounds.Forexample,allofthePI’sselectedfortheICEE-2instrumentdevelopmentprogramweremalewithlimitedrepresenta5onalongotheraxesofdiversity,whichgivesanappearanceofbias.OPAGencouragesNASAtotestthedual-anonymousreviewprocessonaninstrumentprogramasthenexttestprogramtoprovideastrongerdatasettoevaluatetheeffec5venessofthisreviewstrategy.Asexamplesofprogramsthatreceivealargenumberofproposalsandrepresentgoodtes5nggroundsofdual-anonymousreviewprocess,wepointtothePICASSOandAppliedInforma5onSystemsResearchprograms.Finding4.OPAGcommendsNASA’seffortstotestdual-anonymousreviewforR&Aprograms.OPAGencouragesNASAtotestdual-anonymousreviewonaninstrumentdevelopmentprograminthenearfuturebecausethisisaclassofprogramsthatcanbeperceivedaslackingindiversityofselectedPIs.

OPAGFindingsFebruary3-4,2020Mee@ng5.EDIDemographicandClimateSurveys.OPAGapplaudsthevolunteerworkbeingdonebytheEquity,DiversityandInclusion(EDI)WorkingGroupwithpar5cipa5onfromallplanetaryAGs.WefullysupporttheleQersentbytheEDIWorkingGrouptoNASAHQon28January2020whichisalsoavailableontheOPAGwebsite.Finding5.Weencourageimplementa5onofthetworecommenda5onsintheleQerin5metoinformtheDecadalSurvey,namely:1)ThecommunityhasaneedforasurveyacrossallofSMDthatwillenableanalysisofmul5-dimensionaldemographicsdatatounderstandthediversityaspectsofourpopula5on,includingdatathatgoesbeyondgenderra5osandincludesdisciplines;and2)NASAshouldcommissionregular(yearly),professionally-designedclimatesurveyssothatwecanfullyiden5fytheequityandinclusionissueswithinourcommunity,andensurethoseclimatesurveysconsiderrelevantaxesofpowerandcareerstructures.

OPAGFindingsFebruary3-4,2020Mee@ng6.AdvancedRadioisotopePowerSystems(RPS)ProgramAvailabilitySchedule.OPAGthanksJuneZakrajsekoftheNASARPSProgramforherbriefing.WeunderstandthatthedevelopmentoftheeMMRTGhasbeensuspended,andthattheNextGenRTGisscheduledtobeflightqualifiedin2028,withflightunitproduc5onstar5ngonlyakerqualifica5oniscompleted.PreviousstudiesofoutersolarsystemmissionsthatbaselinedtheeMMRTG,suchastherecenticegiantmissionsstudies[1],arenowobsolete.SincetheMMRTGisnotaviableop5onformostlong-dura5onmissions[2],theNextGenRTGistheonlyremainingRPSop5oncurrentlyunderdevelopment.AlengthyschedulefortheNextGenRTG'sflightavailabilitycouldhavesignificantnega5veimpactsontheschedulesforsomeDiscovery,NewFron5ers,andicegiantflagshipmissionconceptsalreadystudiedbyNASAandotherins5tu5ons.Finding6.OPAGrequestsafurtherpresenta5onbyNASAregardingtheschedulefortheNextGenRTGdevelopment,qualifica5on,flightunitfabrica5on,tes5nganddeliveryforlaunch,toenableamoredetaileddiscussionatthenextOPAGpublicmee5ng.1.Hofstadter,M.D.,Simon,A.,IceGiantsPre-DecadalSurveyMissionStudyReport,JPLD-100520,p.2-2,2017June;availableathQps://www.lpi.usra.edu/icegiants/mission_study/Full-Report.pdf2.ibid,p1-8,2-8.

OPAGCommi9eeWhitePaper•  OrganizedaroundBigQues@ons

– Whatisthedistribu5onandhistoryoflifeinthesolarsystem?– Whatistheorigin,evolu5on,andstructureofplanetarysystems?– Whatpresent-dayprocessesshapeplanetarysystems,andhowdotheseprocessescreatediverseoutcomeswithinandacrossdifferentworlds?

WithafourthCross-Divisionaltheme:Howcansolarsystembodiesinformourunderstandingofbodiesinexoplanetarysystems?

•  StrategicApproach–  ResearchandAnalysis(R&A)–  Interna5onalPartnership

•  TechnologyandSuppor@ngStrategicInvestment(including)–  Orbitalvs.InsituinExplora5on–  Aerocapture–  Earth-basedAstronomy–  LaboratoryMeasurements

OPAGCommi9eeWhitePaperConclusions•  Forlargedirectedmissions,ourtoprecommenda5onistocompleteEuropaClipper.Ourtoprecommenda5onforanewstartisanIceGiantSystemsmission.Flyingtoeithericegiantisscien5ficallycompelling,butNeptuneispreferredsinceTritonisahigher-priorityOceanWorldstargetthanArielortheotherUraniansatellites.Thisre-affirmstheimportancegiventosuchamissioninthejust-previousDecadalSurvey.Wenotethatnonewtechnologyefforts(asidefromfinishingeffortsalreadyunderway)areneededforthismissiontoproceed.

OPAGCommi9eeWhitePaperConclusionscont’•  Ournextlargedirectedmissionpriorityisamissiontosearchforlifeorbiosignaturesonanoceanworld,mostlikelyEuropaorEnceladus.Webelievethatlifedetec5ontechnologydevelopmentcouldproveessen5altoeithermission,sowestronglysupporttheongoingtechnologydevelopmentefforts.Thedecadalmid-termreviewrecommendedthatEuropaLanderbeconsideredforanewstartinthenextfulldecadalsurvey,ratherthanbeginningsooner.However,aEuropaLanderpre-projecthasbeenfundedandcouldgetanewstart.IfaEuropaLandermissionisapproved,thenOPAGwillcertainlysupportthatmission.WerecommendthatNASAstudyanEnceladuslife-searchmission.Concurrently,westronglyrecommendthatthenextDecadalSurveyincludeaPriorityQues5onaboutactuallifeorbiosignaturedetec5onratherthanjustthestudyofhabitability.

OPAGCommi9eeWhitePaperConclusionscont’•  ForNewFron@ersclassmissions,OPAGsupportsopeningcompe55ontoallsolarsystemdes5na5ons,asrecommendedbytheNa5onalAcademiesin2008.Inpar5cular,wesupporttheinclusionofEnceladusandTitanoceanworldsmissionsalongwithIoObserverandSaturnprobes.Otherconceptsdeserveconsidera5onaswell,suchasamissiontoKBOplanets.OPAGstronglyrecommendsthatthenextDecadalSurveybelessrestric5veinthenumberofalloweddes5na5onsforNewFron5ersmissionsthaninthepastSurveys.Theoutersolarsystemhasagreatabundanceofinteres5ngworldstoexplore,sosuchrestric5onsareapar5cularlyonerousrestric5ononfutureexplora5on.

North Pole South Pole

• Lakes Hummocky

• Crater • Labyrinth

• Dunes • Plains