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NASA is Preparing to Release the Mission to Uranus and Neptune

Uranus and Neptune to this point has never got much attention from researchers. However, some groups from the United States Space Agency (NASA) and universities started to make a concept of four missions that could be run by 2030.


The concept of the proposed mission was discussing a vehicle that can surround the planet in a second for 10 to 15 years. In addition the mission had also been prepared to launch research rockets into the atmosphere.

The main focus of each mission is to find out how the planets were formed and structured.

The mission includes three orbiter missions and one mission that will explore Uranus. The research rocket will carry a narrow angle camera to capture the details of the interior, especially the giant Ice Moon. NASA will also drop the rockets or dive into the atmosphere of Uranus to measure gas levels and heavy elements.

Meanwhile, three of the orbiter mission can be a mission of Neptune with a rocket that check Uranus's atmosphere, or a rocket with the same design, or a spacecraft with 15 instrument covers that will be sent to Uranus.

"The Mission of the orbiter is to investigate the atmosphere of Uranus or Neptune -it will give the highest scientific value, and allow in-depth studies on all aspects of planetary systems: rings, satellites, atmosphere, magnetosphere," said Amy Simon, the Chairman of Ice Giants Pre-Decadal Study.

The other goal of this mission is to study the field of energy, weather and climate, in depth studies about the Moon, and find out more about the composition and formation of the orbiting ring system of Neptune and Uranus.

"The strange thing about Uranus and Neptune is, although they look very similar, something about their interior is actually a little bit different," says Jonathan Fortney, a professor at UC Santa Cruz and one of the authors of the report, said The Verge.

Fortney reveals the research team still don't know the reason behind the phenomenon.

Neptune's mission will also focus on its largest moon, Triton IE. This month is a Kuiper belt object that might have geyser and weak atmosphere.

"Compared to Neptune, Uranus has larger satellite systems that may form in the disc around the planet (like Jupiter and Saturn's satellite system) which is very helpful for comparative planetary science, and I am delighted to get better understanding on the diversity of this little world," he said.

Neptune is important because an awful lot of researched exo-planets similar to the planet. Simon says that the understanding on how Uranus and Neptune formed can show how the ice Giants are different from gas giants and what makes the amount of ice.

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