What’s next for NASA? The National Academies of Sciences recently shared its top picks for NASA’s fifth New Frontiers mission. This guide highlights the priorities that will shape space exploration in the coming years.
NASA aims to launch the fifth mission in the 2030s. Some exciting project ideas include a probe to Saturn, a network of sensors on the Moon, and even a mission to collect samples from a dwarf planet. These plans echo the success of the OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned material from an asteroid.
This report isn’t just a routine update. It was put together on NASA’s request to evaluate various missions. New Frontiers is all about digging deep into planetary science, and it uses smart management strategies to answer crucial questions about our solar system.
Current missions have already made significant contributions. For instance, New Horizons flew by Pluto, Juno studies Jupiter, and OSIRIS-REx returned samples from an asteroid. An upcoming mission, Dragonfly, will launch to Saturn’s moon, Titan, by 2028. This drone will explore the unique terrain there.
The National Academies identified 11 key findings and suggested seven mission concepts. These include:
- Centaur Orbiter and Lander
- Ceres Sample Return
- Comet Surface Sample Return
- Enceladus Multiple Flyby
- Io Observer
- Lunar Geophysical Network
- Saturn Probe
The Centaur Orbiter and Lander would study icy bodies in the Kuiper belt, while Ceres Sample Return aims to collect materials from the dwarf planet Ceres. Comet Surface Sample Return will focus on a comet’s icy core, giving us insights into its makeup.
On the other hand, the Enceladus Multiple Flyby mission would investigate a moon of Saturn suspected to have a hidden ocean. The Io Observer will explore Jupiter’s volcanic moon to understand how its intense heat affects its geology. The Lunar Geophysical Network proposes to set up a suite of instruments on the Moon to study its structure from core to crust. Finally, the Saturn Probe will gather data about the planet to enhance our understanding of solar system formation.
The timeline for announcing which mission will move ahead has shifted to at least 2026, causing some overlap with the next steps in the New Frontiers program. To help plan for this, NASA asked the National Academies to look into any significant advancements that might impact the mission themes.
While we don’t yet know what the fifth mission will be, this report sets the stage for NASA’s future. As the Dragonfly mission goes forward, NASA can start planning its next big venture.
Even though the next New Frontiers mission is still a few years away, the exciting concepts remind us that NASA is looking to the future and striving to expand our understanding of the universe.
Check out this related article: NASA Unveils Shocking Truth About ‘City Killer’ Asteroid: Is the Moon in Danger of Impact?
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