Nearly three decades ago, a spacecraft captured an image of Triton, one of Neptune’s moons. This icy world has intrigued scientists ever since, as they believe it might harbor an underground ocean capable of supporting life. However, to explore Triton further, scientists must act quickly due to the constraints of orbital mechanics, aiming to utilize a gravity assist from Jupiter for their mission.
Triton is a massive moon, ranking as the seventh largest in our solar system. It is larger than all smaller moons combined and is considered a captured celestial body orbiting Neptune. When Voyager 2 flew by Triton in 1989, it revealed a world unlike any other. Triton boasts one of the youngest surfaces in the solar system, estimated to be between ten and fifteen million years old. This youthful surface suggests recent geological activity.
Scientists determine the age of planetary surfaces by counting craters. Triton’s surface is almost devoid of craters, indicating something unusual is occurring. Further examination revealed features suggesting material movement through an ice shelf, hinting at an energy source beneath the surface, possibly an ocean.
One of the most fascinating discoveries on Triton is the presence of plumes erupting from its surface, reaching heights of about eight kilometers. These plumes could be evidence of a subsurface ocean, similar to those observed on other moons like Enceladus. Such features have sparked interest in icy bodies, as they may harbor life or have the potential to support life in the future. These clues make Triton an ideal candidate for a new exploratory mission.
The proposed Trident mission aims to explore Triton further. Scheduled for launch in October 2025, the mission plans to reach Triton by 2038. With advancements in technology since Voyager’s flyby, Trident will conduct nearly global mapping of Triton’s surface. The spacecraft will fly much closer to the moon, at about 300 kilometers, compared to Voyager’s 40,000 kilometers.
Significant scientific discoveries can be made from a single flyby, as demonstrated by the New Horizons mission to Pluto. Trident will be equipped with a suite of sophisticated instruments, including a narrow-angle camera, an infrared spectrometer, a magnetometer, a plasma spectrometer, and a wide-angle camera. These tools will help scientists study Triton’s magnetic field, sample particles, and image the Neptune-facing hemisphere during an eclipse. Radio science will also be employed to investigate the atmosphere and locate the water layer’s bottom.
To reach Triton within budget constraints, the mission will use a smaller rocket and radioisotope thermoelectric generators for power. The spacecraft will follow a ballistic trajectory, performing flybys of Venus and Earth before receiving a gravity assist from Jupiter to accelerate toward Neptune. This approach exemplifies the effective application of physics, allowing precise targeting of Triton within 20 kilometers.
At the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), such ambitious missions are a specialty, with objectives planned decades in advance. The team recently submitted a ‘Notice of Intent’ to NASA, indicating their proposal to explore Triton. Although the proposal process is demanding, it is exhilarating to be part of such groundbreaking work.
Unlike missions to the Moon or Mars, which take days or months, reaching Triton will take 13 years. Despite the lengthy journey, the potential discoveries make the effort worthwhile. Exploring the unknown offers profound insights, often described as spiritual experiences, as they unveil sights never before seen by human eyes. These rare moments in a career are truly magical and worth the wait.
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Prepare a presentation focusing on Triton’s geological features, such as its youthful surface and the presence of plumes. Use images and data from Voyager 2 and other sources to support your findings. Present your research to the class, highlighting why these features suggest subsurface activity.
Engage in a debate with your classmates about the potential for life on Triton. Divide into two groups: one arguing for the possibility of life due to the suspected subsurface ocean, and the other arguing against it based on current scientific understanding. Use evidence from the article and additional research to support your arguments.
Work in teams to design a hypothetical mission to Triton. Consider the scientific instruments you would include, the trajectory and gravity assists needed, and the potential challenges. Present your mission plan to the class, explaining how it would build on the goals of the Trident mission.
Participate in a simulation exercise to understand the orbital mechanics involved in reaching Triton. Use software to simulate the spacecraft’s trajectory, including flybys of Venus, Earth, and Jupiter. Analyze how gravity assists help in reaching distant celestial bodies efficiently.
Write a short story or essay imagining the discoveries made by the Trident mission upon reaching Triton. Describe the potential scientific breakthroughs and their impact on our understanding of the solar system. Share your creative work with the class to inspire discussions on the future of space exploration.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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This is a picture of Triton, one of Neptune’s moons. It was taken by a spacecraft nearly 30 years ago and is part of a limited batch of photos we have of this icy world. Scientists think this moon might have an underground ocean that could be hospitable for life, among other intriguing scientific questions. So they want to go back for a closer look. However, there is a race against time and orbital mechanics. They aim to launch soon to take advantage of a gravity slingshot from Jupiter.
Triton is a very large moon; it’s the seventh largest moon in the solar system and larger than every other smaller moon combined. It is a captured world around Neptune, and something happened that caused it to be captured into orbit around Neptune. When we first encountered Triton during Voyager 2’s flyby in 1989, we saw a world that was very unlike what we expected. It has one of the youngest surfaces in the solar system, estimated to be around fifteen million years old, but possibly as young as ten million years. In geological terms, that means it was essentially formed recently.
We date the ages of surfaces in the solar system based on the number of craters they have experienced, and Triton has almost no craters on its surface, which was our first clue that something unusual is happening. The second clue came when we examined the surface more closely and found various features that suggest movement of materials through an ice shelf. This is particularly exciting because it indicates there may be an energy source, and an ocean provides a significant energy source.
We also discovered that Triton has plumes of active material erupting from its surface, reaching about eight kilometers high. These plumes could be evidence of a subsurface ocean, which might support life. Similar plumes have been observed on other distant moons, like Enceladus. There has been increased interest in these icy bodies, as they present unusual and alien landscapes, and they could potentially be places where life might have evolved or could evolve in the future. All these intriguing hints make Triton a prime target for a new flyby mission.
The Trident mission is a concept we are proposing to NASA in the next Discovery round. We aim to launch in October 2025 and arrive at Triton in 2038. One of the ingenious aspects of this mission is that, 30 years after Voyager, our technology has advanced significantly, allowing us to perform nearly global mapping of the surface during a flyby. We will be flying much lower than Voyager did, which flew by at about 40,000 kilometers; we plan to fly by at about 300 kilometers, getting very close to the surface.
There are many cases where significant scientific discoveries can be made from a single flyby. The New Horizons spacecraft’s flyby of Pluto demonstrated this, revealing the incredible nature of Pluto. I personally worked on the Messenger mission, where we achieved many scientific goals from just one flyby, provided we carry the right tools and plan effectively.
Trident will carry a complex suite of instruments, including a combined narrow-angle camera and infrared spectrometer, a magnetometer to look for the magnetic signature of an ocean, a plasma spectrometer to sample particles along the spacecraft’s trajectory, and a wide-angle camera to image the Neptune-facing hemisphere of Triton during an eclipse. We will also utilize radio science to gain insights into the atmosphere and locate the bottom of the water layer.
To reach Triton within the Discovery budget, we plan to hitch a ride on a smaller rocket and use radioisotope thermoelectric generators for power. We want to launch soon to take advantage of a uniquely suited flight path. Our propulsion strategy involves using a ballistic trajectory, where Trident will perform flybys of Venus and Earth, then receive a gravity assist from Jupiter, which will help accelerate it toward Neptune.
This is a prime example of applying physics effectively. We should be able to hit the target relative to Triton within 20 kilometers. At JPL, we specialize in these ambitious missions to distant locations, accurately targeting our objectives decades in advance. We recently submitted a ‘Notice of Intent’ to NASA, indicating our plan to deliver a proposal for exploring Triton in the coming weeks. We are nearing the completion of our proposal, and while it’s an exciting and exhausting process, it is exhilarating to be involved in this work.
One unique aspect of this mission is its duration. Traveling to the Moon takes about three days, and Mars can be reached in about nine months, but it will take us 13 years to reach Triton. The effort is very rewarding, and the time and energy invested are worthwhile. Exploring the unfamiliar teaches us much more than focusing solely on the familiar. Witnessing the surface of a celestial body for the first time is a profound experience, often described as spiritual, as it reveals something that no one else has seen before. These moments are rare in a career, but when they occur, they are truly magical. It’s worth the wait.
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a professional tone while preserving the essential information.
Triton – Triton is the largest moon of Neptune, known for its retrograde orbit and geologically active surface. – Triton’s geysers, which spew nitrogen gas, suggest that it is one of the most geologically active bodies in the solar system.
Neptune – Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun, known for its deep blue color and strong winds. – The discovery of Neptune in 1846 was a triumph of mathematical prediction and observational astronomy.
Ocean – In astronomy, an ocean refers to a large body of liquid, often water, that may exist beneath the surface of a celestial body. – Scientists speculate that Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, may harbor a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust.
Gravity – Gravity is the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its center. – The study of gravity is crucial for understanding the orbits of planets and the dynamics of galaxies.
Physics – Physics is the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. – Quantum physics provides a fundamental framework for understanding the interactions of particles at the smallest scales.
Moons – Moons are natural satellites that orbit planets, and they can vary greatly in size and composition. – The Galilean moons of Jupiter, discovered by Galileo, include some of the largest moons in the solar system.
Surface – The surface refers to the outermost layer of a planet or moon, which can be solid, liquid, or gaseous. – The surface of Mars is covered with iron oxide dust, giving it a reddish appearance.
Plumes – Plumes are columns of gas or liquid that erupt from a celestial body’s surface, often indicating geological activity. – The detection of water vapor plumes on Enceladus suggests the presence of a subsurface ocean.
Mission – A mission in astronomy refers to a planned journey by a spacecraft to gather data about celestial bodies. – The Cassini mission provided invaluable data about Saturn and its rings over its 13-year journey.
Exploration – Exploration in astronomy involves the investigation and study of celestial bodies and phenomena beyond Earth. – Space exploration has expanded our understanding of the universe and our place within it.
