Astronomy Laboratory

Planetary Research Expedition

You will design a mission to study a particular planet within our solar system. The mission should reflect the unique nature of the planet as determined by current evidence. It should be designed to gather data on specific features of the planet, and may include the atmosphere, surface, oceans, and interior. The plan must detail every scientific aspect of the mission.

1. To begin, research the planet. Your text has good information, but you should supplement it with web research t fully round out the background.

This should consider the following (as they apply):

• Mass, size, gravity, dist. From Sun, etc.
• Atmospheric structure , chemistry, pressure, temps
• Nature of crust & oceans

Make bulleted lists of the known information.

2. Design the mission.

Concerns:

• Manned or unmanned? Why?
• Multiple probes or a single multi-purpose unit?
• What will the mission hope to investigate?

Describe how the mission will unfold with respect to the nature of the planet and what is already known.

The concept is designed research current understanding of the planet you chose and communicate that info to a reader in the context of mission planning.

3. Describe why the result of this mission will be scientifically useful. Describe what following missions might investigate.

All research and brainstorming is to be done as a cohort. The writing should be sone individually.