Uranus orbiter and probe

Uranus orbiter and probe (UOP)

The Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) mission would deliver an in-situ probe into Uranus’s atmosphere, then complete a multi-year orbital tour of all aspects of the Uranian system including: atmosphere, interior, magnetosphere, rings, and satellites. The mission concept was selected as the highest priority Flagship-class mission by the 2023–2032 Planetary Science Decadal Survey.

The set of scientific instruments is not defined yet, but an Italian contribution is very likely. Currently, different options are under study, including a gravity science experiment based on Ka/Ka-band two-way coherent link for improved performance.

Scientific publications

Iorio, L., A.P. Girija, and D. Durante (2023). One EURO for Uranus: the Elliptical Uranian Relativity Orbiter mission, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 523, 3595–3614. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad1446
Di Stefano, I., D. Durante, P. Cappuccio, and P. Racioppa (2024). Radio science experiments during a cruise phase to Uranus, Aerospace 11(4), 282. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11040282

Official website

NASA.gov

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