NASA’s New Frontiers program is on the horizon, and the scientific community is buzzing with anticipation. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently released a report outlining potential themes for the fifth mission in this exciting program, offering a glimpse into the future of space exploration and setting the stage for groundbreaking discoveries in the 2030s. This report provides a roadmap for NASA, highlighting key priorities and potential destinations for the next ambitious mission.
The report details several compelling mission concepts, carefully chosen to address crucial scientific questions while maintaining a balanced portfolio of space exploration endeavors. These missions aim to expand our understanding of the solar system’s diverse bodies, from icy moons to fiery volcanic worlds. Among the contenders are a probe to delve into the mysteries of Saturn, a network of sensors to unravel the secrets hidden beneath the Moon’s surface, and a daring mission to retrieve samples from a dwarf planet, echoing the success of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, a previous New Frontiers selection. The full report is available for download on the National Academies website.
Previous decadal surveys conducted by the academies have addressed critical topics such as the search for habitable worlds, the exploration of Uranus, funding challenges for human space exploration and habitation, and unraveling the enigmas of our solar system. While this latest report isn’t a full decadal survey, it was commissioned by NASA to evaluate potential missions as the agency charts the course for the future of the New Frontiers program.
According to NASA’s website, the New Frontiers program is designed to execute focused planetary science investigations using innovative and efficient management strategies. The program’s core objective is to answer fundamental scientific questions about our solar system. Current operational New Frontiers missions include New Horizons, launched in 2006, which provided a close-up look at Pluto in 2015; Juno, launched in 2011, which is currently studying Jupiter; and OSIRIS-REx, launched in 2016, which successfully collected samples from an asteroid and returned them to Earth. The next scheduled New Frontiers mission is Dragonfly, a rotorcraft drone set to explore Saturn’s moon Titan, with a launch planned no earlier than 2028.
The recent report identifies 11 key findings and recommends seven missions for consideration as the fifth New Frontiers mission:
- Centaur Orbiter and Lander: This mission would study the physical and chemical properties of Centaurs, small icy bodies originating from the Kuiper belt.
- Ceres Sample Return: This mission aims to collect and return samples from the dwarf planet Ceres.
- Comet Surface Sample Return: Similar to the Ceres mission, this one targets a comet, a celestial body composed of ice and dust.
- Enceladus Multiple Flyby: This mission would investigate Enceladus, a moon of Saturn believed to harbor a subsurface ocean beneath its icy shell.
- Io Observer: This mission would explore Io, a volcanically active moon of Jupiter, to better understand the phenomenon of tidal heating.
- Lunar Geophysical Network: This mission proposes deploying a network of geophysical instruments across the Moon’s surface to study its interior structure.
- Saturn Probe: This mission involves sending a probe to Saturn to gather fundamental data about the planet, furthering our understanding of the formation of our solar system, giant planets, and Saturn itself.
The National Academies website notes a delay in the announcement of opportunity for the fifth New Frontiers mission, now scheduled for no earlier than 2026. This timeframe overlaps with the sixth mission in the program. Consequently, NASA requested the National Academies to investigate and report on any scientific, programmatic, and technological advancements that could significantly impact the prioritized mission themes for the fifth mission.
While the report doesn’t definitively announce the next New Frontiers mission, it provides a crucial framework for NASA’s decision-making process. Once Dragonfly launches, the agency can dedicate more resources to planning the sixth mission.
Although the precise destination of the next New Frontiers mission remains uncertain, these exciting concepts reaffirm NASA’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration. They offer a tantalizing glimpse into the future of discovery, reminding us that even amidst present-day challenges, scientists are diligently working to unlock the secrets of tomorrow’s universe.
