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photo from JPL Image Library
As the
millennium closed, so did the era of large-scale planetary
spacecraft. Future planetary spacecraft will increase their
capability, as compared to their predecessors, while reducing
in size and consuming less power. These future spacecraft
will be the landers and sample return missions of tomorrow.
Lander and sample return missions
require innovative mission concepts, new operation approaches,
as well as technologies that have yet to be developed. In
addition, these missions will be more numerous then in the
past. Rather than one mission every decade, every decade will
have numerous missions.
To organize this effort, the United
States robotic planetary exploration program has been divided
into five areas:
- Earth Exploration
- Mars Exploration
- Outer Planet Exploration
- Asteroid & Comet Exploration
- Universe
This presentation will describe each
of these areas, the major missions currently in operations
and those being planned. It will also have a special emphasis
on extra-solar planet searches and the search for life.
original photo by Sam Mircovich/Rueters
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Mini-Biography
Dr. Wessen has been an employee of the California
Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
for nineteen years. He is currently the Navigator Program
Engineer. Previously, Dr. Wessen was the Telecommunications
and Mission Systems Manager for the Mars Program, the
Supervisor for the Science System Engineering Group,
Manager of the Cassini Science Planning & Operations
Element, the Galileo Deputy Sequence Team Chief, and
the Voyager Science Sequence Coordinator for the Uranus
and Neptune encounters.
Dr. Wessen received his Bachelors of Science in both
Physics and Astronomy from Stony Brook University, a
Masters of Science in Astronautics from the University
of Southern California, and a Doctorate in Operations
Research from the University of Glamorgan, Wales, England.
He co-authored the book "Neptune: the Planet, Rings
and Satellites" and was the recipient of NASA's
Exceptional Service Medal for his contributions to the
Voyager 2 Neptune Encounter. He also has six NASA Group
Achievement Awards and is a fellow of both the Royal
Astronomical Society and the British Interplanetary
Society.
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