Outer Solar System Exploration: A Compelling and Unified Dual Mission Decadal Strategy for Exploring Uranus, Neptune, Triton, Dwarf Planets, and Small KBOs and Centaurs

TL;DR

This paper proposes a unified dual mission strategy for exploring the outer Solar System, including Uranus, Neptune, Triton, dwarf planets, and small KBOs, to maximize scientific return within budget constraints.

Contribution

It introduces an integrated mission approach combining multiple targets to optimize scientific outcomes and resource use, addressing budget limitations and mission feasibility.

Findings

Combining missions increases scientific return per dollar.

Unified strategy reduces overall mission costs.

Enhanced exploration of diverse outer Solar System objects.

Abstract

Laying the Vision and Voyages (V&V, National Research Council 2011) Decadal Survey 2013-2022 objectives against subsequent budget profiles reveals that separate missions to every desirable target in the Solar System are simply not realistic. In fact, very few of these missions will be achievable under current budget realities. Given the cost and difficulty in reaching the outer Solar System, competition between high-value science missions to an Ice Giant system and the Kuiper Belt is counterproductive. A superior approach is to combine the two programs into an integrated strategy that maximizes the science that can be achieved across many science disciplines and communities, while recognizing pragmatic budget limitations.