NASA advisers call for a visit to Uranus, plus more science during Moon landings

One of the priorities outlined in the new report is a probe that will land on the moon Enceladus.

NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

A robotic mission. A probe can land on a moon. There is a better plan for astronauts to do high-quality science on the moon.

These are some of the top priorities outlined in a new report from an influential group that is advising NASA on where to go in the next decade.

Every ten years, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine brings together committees of space experts to survey the field of planetary science and reach a consensus on the best way for NASA to explore strange new worlds.

Some of the items are familiar, but others are new. The report paints an optimistic picture of the field, but there are hints of concern about future budget constraints.

The artist's conception shows one plan for getting the rock samples off the red planet.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA was told to gather a selection of rocks on Mars and bring them back to Earth for chemical analyses in 2011. It could show if the red planet ever had life. They argued for a mission to the moon of Jupiter that seems to have an ocean of water beneath its icy surface.

planetary scientists worry that cost overruns might threaten the ability to visit other places in the solar system because NASA embraced those goals and has been making progress.

The Planetary Society, a nonprofit that promotes space exploration, says that funding is at a record high.

The highest scientific priority of NASA's robotic exploration efforts this decade should be bringing home rocks from the red planet, according to a new report.

The committee supports the return of the Mars sample. It is a concept that has been around a long time and has a lot of scientific validity and support, according to the steering committee co-chair.

The report says if the price tag goes above $5.3 billion, NASA should seek additional money from Congress rather than taking funds away from other worthy missions.

Scientists might be able to understand ice giants with a trip to Uranus.

Unlike rocky planets like Mars and gas giants like Jupiter, the ice giants have never been studied with a dedicated mission.

The seventh planet from the Sun has only ever been visited by a NASA probe.

According to Robin Canup of the Southwest Research Institute, ice giant planets are likely the most common class of planets in the universe. There are going to be a lot of surprises once we get there.

An ocean world could have evidence of life

One of the most compelling destinations is Enceladus.

It is thought to have an ocean of liquid water under an icy crust, just like Europa, but it is easier to obtain samples that originated deep within the moon. The report recommends sending a probe that could land on the surface and look for evidence of life in fresh material that rains down on it.

Enceladus is the logical place to look for evidence of life today.

Making it to the moon again

NASA needs to get serious about doing science in its effort to return astronauts to the moon, according to advisers.

The failure to do this so far means the scientific return of the astronauts will not be as significant as it could be.

Canup says that they want the Artemis program to be accompanied by science.

There is a lack of organization and accountability at NASA for working high-priority science into the planning for moon landings. Human spaceflight is separated from planetary exploration within the agency's organizational structure.

The robotic and human side of NASA should come together into a really strong partnership, according to the author.

Protecting earth and other priorities

There are a number of smaller missions around the solar system that have merit, such as visits to the dwarf planet Ceres and the largest moon of Saturn.

It gives a shout-out to the effort to protect Earth from space rocks.

The Near-Earth Object Surveyor is a telescope that is designed to search for dangerous rocks. The telescope has faced budget cuts.

A planetary scientist at Caltech who served on the report's steering committee says that protecting Earth is important and that we can achieve good science while doing it.