Abstract
The Solar-Sail Project has been investigated by JAXA as an engineering mission with a small orbiter into the Jovian orbit. This paper summarizes the basic design of this project and possible Jovian system studies by this opportunity. The large-scale Jovian mission has been discussed as a long future plan since the 1970s, when the investigation of the future planetary exploration program started in Japan. The largest planet and its complex planetary system would be studied by several main objectives: (1) The structure of a gas planet: the internal and atmospheric structures of a gas planet which could not be a star. (2) The Jovian-type magnetosphere: the structure and processes of the largest and strongest magnetosphere in the solar system. (3) The structure, composition, and evolution of Jupiter and its satellite system. The small Jovian orbiter accompanied with the Solar-Sail Project will try to establish the technical feasibility of such future outer planet missions in Japan. The main objective is the second target, the Jovian magnetospheric and auroral studies with its limited payload resources.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Advances in Geosciences |
| Subtitle of host publication | Volume 7: Planetary Science (PS) |
| Publisher | World Scientific Publishing Co. |
| Pages | 45-53 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9789812708922 |
| ISBN (Print) | 981270986X, 9789812709868 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 Jan 1 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Environmental Science(all)