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Interesting tidbit from today's briefing at the Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) meeting by NASA planetary leadership: NASA is considering *two* flagships for flight—one to Uranus, the other to orbit and land on Enceladus. Both were Decadal priorities—but in series, not one over the other.

22/9/26, 7:54 pm12 reposts92 likes

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies

@palomarskies.bsky.social

Stephen Kane

@exocytherean.bsky.social

22 Sept

Was there an update on timescale? One of the reasons UOP was ranked so highly by OWL was because of the relatively low technical risk and gravity assists that could have it arrive around 2040. However, that assumed using the early 2030s launch windows.

Paul Byrne

@theplanetaryguy.com

22 Sept

Negative, other than both concepts are being "studied".

Steve Elardo

@steve-elardo.com

23 Sept

As long as we get a SPARX mission they can do whatever they want way TF out there with their gas balls and icy things

Jackie Clark

@geojackjack.bsky.social

I beg your pardon, but a flight to my what?

Mark Panning

@markpanning.seismology.space

22 Sept

I’m confused. Could you please explain how this relates to the Moon or Mars?

Probe/Plunge for Uranus (gas giant) & PROBE for Enceladus. We agreed NOT to contaminate a potential a planetoïde with potential primitive (microbial) life forms.

Edward Rocket

@edwardrocket.bsky.social

22 Sept

enceladus would be my preference both for the science and also because i can live without seeing the entire probability space of probe/uranus riffs mapped out over a decade or so

Edward Rocket

@edwardrocket.bsky.social

22 Sept

this is the is the sign and not the sigified btw i am not contributing to the probe/uranus riffs i expressing an idea about those riffs!