Discover the mysteries of our solar system’s ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, by simulating a probe’s journey into their enigmatic clouds. Scientists have yet to explore these distant planets, but recent tests suggest that this might change soon.
Currently, NASA’s 2023-2032 Planetary Sciences Decadal Survey and the ESA’s Voyage 2050 program prioritize missions to Uranus and Neptune. To better prepare for this, scientists have simulated probes descending into the atmosphere of these planets using state-of-the-art facilities such as the T6 Stalker Tunnel in Europe and the University of Stuttgart’s High Enthalpy Flow Diagnostics Group’s plasma wind tunnels.
During these simulations, scientists addressed various challenges such as heat fluxes, convective heating, and adapting testing facilities to reproduce the atmospheric compositions and velocities of Uranus and Neptune. The probe’s descent into these icy giants’ atmospheres presents unique challenges, including significant heating due to entry into the atmosphere, which is orders of magnitude higher than any previous missions ESA has encountered.
The tests have achieved simulated speeds of 19 km per second, and further tests will replicate actual entry rates of 24 km per second, equivalent to the speed required for a probe to orbit the ice giants. These comprehensive studies aim to provide crucial insights into the nature of Uranus and Neptune and their roles in planetary system formation.
Uranus and Neptune are the least understood planets in our solar system, and a successful probe mission could unravel their mysteries, including the possibility of oceans of liquid within their atmospheres and diamond rain. Ultimately, exploring these ice giants may revolutionize our understanding of planetary systems and cosmic evolution.
