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Outer Planets Flagship Mission Studies

Published: November 9, 2017

The Planetary Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), supports a technology planning effort at JPL, whose goal is to identify the technologies needed for future missions.

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An assessment of the space energy storage systems required to enable/enhance the capabilities of future planetary science missions.
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PDF download of energy report.
Energy Storage Technologies for Future Planetary Science Missions
The purpose of this report is to introduce and describe the advanced RPS technologies currently being considered by NASA for future space mission applications, and to assess their relevant merits f...
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The purpose of this report is to introduce and describe the advanced RPS technologies currently being considered by NASA for future space mission applications, and to assess their relevant merits from a mission and system engineering perspective over a range of potential mission applications.
Extending Exploration with Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems
Aerocapture technologies have the potential for enabling orbital missions to the outer planets and their satellites with shorter trip times than is practical when achieving orbit capture using conv...
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Aerocapture technologies have the potential for enabling orbital missions to the outer planets and their satellites with shorter trip times than is practical when achieving orbit capture using conventional chemical propulsion.
The Assessment of Aerocapture and Applications to Future Missions
The Deep Space Chronicle provides a ready reference of deep space missions attempted since the opening of the space age in 1957 to the end of the 20th century.
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Download book about space missions
Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space and Planetary Probes 1958-2000
This report from the National Research Council recommends a suite of planetary science flagship missions for the decade 2013-2022.
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Report on science goals.
Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022
An assessment of the space solar power technologies required to enable/enhance the capabilities of future planetary science mission concepts.
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PDF report
Solar Power Technologies for Future Planetary Science Missions
This summary report is the result of reviewing the power requirements for future NASA science missions and providing a technical assessment of the radioisotope power conversion technologies being c...
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This summary report is the result of reviewing the power requirements for future NASA science missions and providing a technical assessment of the radioisotope power conversion technologies being considered for these future NASA missions.
Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems Report (March, 2001)
This document-Part III, Surface Guidance, Navigation, and Control-is the third, and last, in a series of technology assessments evaluating the capabilities and technologies needed for future missio...
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Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technology Assessment - Part 3: Surface Guidance, Navigation and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technology Assessment - Surface Guidance, Navigation and Control
The goal of the study was to assess the potential of advanced energy storage technologies to enable and/or enhance next decade (2010-2020) NASA Space Science missions, and to define a roadmap for d...
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The goal of the study was to assess the potential of advanced energy storage technologies to enable and/or enhance next decade (2010-2020) NASA Space Science missions, and to define a roadmap for developing advanced energy storage technologies.
Energy Storage Technologies for Future Space Science Missions
NASA's Office of Space Science (OSS) requested JPL to lead a team to delineate the power requirements for potential NASA space science missions and assess the capability of the present solar cell a...
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NASA's Office of Space Science (OSS) requested JPL to lead a team to delineate the power requirements for potential NASA space science missions and assess the capability of the present solar cell and array technologies.
Solar Cell and Array Technologies for Future Space Missions
The Planetary Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), supports a technology planning effort at JPL, whose goal is to identify the ...
More
The Planetary Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), supports a technology planning effort at JPL, whose goal is to identify the technologies needed for future missions.
Extreme Environment Technologies for Future Space Science Missions (September 2007)
In January 2012, an updated review of technology needs in Planetary Protection and science contamination control was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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Recent exploration of the solar system has revealed previously unknown extraterrestrial environments on which life could conceivably survive and even thrive.
Assessment of Planetary Protection and Contamination Control Technologies
Advancements in guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) and mission design- ranging from software and algorithm development to new sensors-will be necessary to enable future missions.
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Future planetary explorations envisioned by the National Research Council's (NRC's) Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022,1 developed at the request of NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Planetary Science Division (PSD), seek to reach targets of broad scientific interest across the solar system.
Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technology Assessment - Onboard and Ground Navigation and Mission Design
A review of technology needs in Planetary Protection and science contamination control was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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A review of technology needs in Planetary Protection and science contamination control was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Planetary Protection and Contamination Control Technologies for Future Space Science Missions
This document-Part II, Onboard Guidance, Navigation, and Control-is the second in a series of three technology assessments evaluating the capabilities and technologies needed for future missions pu...
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Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technology Assessment - Part 2: Onboard Guidance, Navigation and Control
Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technology Assessment - Onboard Guidance, Navigation and Control
A long, brown oval known as a "brown barge" in Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt is captured in this color-enhanced image from NASA's Juno spacecraft.
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brown oval among colorful clouds
Juno Captures Elusive 'Brown Barge'
A simplified model of Jupiter's massive magnetic field, known as a  magnetosphere.
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Colorful video visualization showing the lines of the massive magnetic bubble that surrounds Jupiter.
Jupiter's Magnetic Field Visualization
This mosaic of images from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft shows the impact crater Hokusai on Mercury.
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cratered surface with a radiating set of bright streaks
The Impressive Rays of Hokusai
The Sun blew out a coronal mass ejection along with part of a solar filament over a three-hour period on Feb. 24, 2015, as seen by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).
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bright solar material reaching out from the surface of the sun
Brief Outburst
This NASA poster set showcases the beauty of our solar system and beyond.
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Collection of space posters.
Solar System and Beyond Poster Set
NASA’s Terra satellite caught a glimpse of plumes rising from two volcanoes in January 2018. 
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erupting volcanoes in snowy landscape seen from directly above
Plumes Over the Kamchatka Peninsula
NASA's Galileo spacecraft caught Jupiter's moon Io, the planet’s third-largest moon, undergoing a volcanic eruption.
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volcanic plume visible over the limb of the moon Io
Galileo Sees Io Erupt
This image is from the last sequence of images NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained of the giant asteroid Vesta, looking down at Vesta's north pole as it was departing. 
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cratered surface of asteroid
A Last Look Back at Vesta
This color picture is made from images taken by the imaging system on NASA Galileo spacecraft about 14 minutes before its closest approach to asteroid 243 Ida on August 28, 1993. 
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two asteroids in black space
Ida and Dactyl in Enhanced Color
Striking atmospheric features in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere are captured in this series of color-enhanced images from NASA’s Juno spacecraft.
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five views of Jupiter's colorful, swirling clouds
Time-lapse Sequence of Jupiter’s North

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