Universe Today Podcast [Interview] Planning a Mission to Uranus
Jun 16, 2025
Amy Simon, a senior scientist for planetary atmospheres at NASA Goddard, passionately discusses the need for a new mission to Uranus since Voyager 2's 1986 flyby. She shares intriguing insights about our evolving understanding of Uranus and its moons, highlighting potential geological activity. Simon details the planning required for such a mission, emphasizing priorities and necessary technology. The conversation also touches on discoveries from recent missions like OSIRIS-REx and Lucy, revealing how they inform future exploratory endeavors.
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Uranus Shows Seasonal Dynamics
- Voyager's single flyby gave a static view of Uranus, but long-term observations revealed dynamic seasonal changes.
- Uranus's polar caps fade and brighten over decades, showing it is more dynamic than initially thought.
Potential Ocean Worlds at Uranus
- Scientists suspect Uranus's moons might be active or contain subsurface oceans, similar to moons at Jupiter and Saturn.
- Uncovering ocean worlds among Uranus's moons could have profound astrobiological implications.
Align Science Priorities Early
- To plan a mission, prioritize the highest importance objectives from different science communities.
- Arrange orbits and mission segments to satisfy overlapping goals without conflicts.