Planet Exploration Project Blog Post #1
Our team must design a transportation method capable of a 5-kilometre-long round trip on Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons. This vehicle must handle extreme conditions including temperatures as low as -180C, low gravity(a tenth of Earth’s), rocky terrain, and interference from the planet’s magnetic field affecting electronics.
For the planet exploration project, my team and I chose the moon Ganymede. We chose Ganymede because its atmosphere is composed of Oxygen and Nitrogen, similar to Earth’s and because it produces its magnetic field. However, while the moon has its benefits, there are lots of disadvantages and differences to Earth. For example, the temperatures in Ganymede range from -297° to -171° Celsius. The terrain is also super icy and rocky, which can pose a challenge for any vehicle.
Challenges we foresee are the frigid temperatures, which instantly eliminate having any fluids in the vehicle and tyres. If tyres were to be used, the tires would need to be made from materials that can withstand extremely low temperatures without becoming brittle or losing their flexibility, as well as have traction on ice, and be able to handle the different gravity on the moon, because it would affect tyre pressure and suspension. Ganymede’s atmosphere is also fragile, providing little protection from radiation and micrometeoroids. This would pose a significant risk to any vehicle and its occupants.
Potential opportunities I see for living on this planet are underground living, as the “inside” of the moon contains lots of water, as the Wikipedia page states “Its internal ocean potentially contains more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined”. However, it would be difficult to reach this large body of water, as NASA states that the water is around 95km deep below the crust. This poses an incredibly large challenge as humans have only dug 12km into the Earth, let alone 95km on a different planet!
We know the information we have is accurate because we asked Google Gemini, and asked for the sources. Answers were provided from reputable sources such as .gov, .edu, and .org websites, such as NASA and science.org. The information gathered by NASA is from the 2 probes that they have previously sent to Ganymede, including Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, Galileo and Juno. They plan to send another one shortly, named JUICE, which will explore not only Ganymede but also the other surrounding moons.
How Information About Ganymede has been Gathered.
Galileo Galilei was the first to observe Ganymede through a telescope in the 16th century. At first, he believed it to be three stars near Jupiter, but it was eventually discovered to be the moon we know today as Ganymede.
Voyager 1 – Used Imaging Science System to capture detailed images of Ganymede’s surface, revealing craters, tectonic features, and regions of varying brightness. Its Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer also measured surface temperatures, which provided insights into the moon’s composition and thermal properties.
JunoCam: Took the first high-resolution images of Ganymede’s surface. It revealed intricate details of Ganymede’s icy surface, including craters and grooves. These images were captured through combined red, green, and blue filters to create full-color images. Other instruments, such as the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) and the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM), provided data on Ganymede’s composition and temperature
Microwave Radiometer: Provided information on Ganymede’s magnetic field. The radiometer uses 6 microwave antennae to determine the composition of the planet.
Future: The JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission aims to study Ganymede’s surface, subsurface ocean, and unique magnetic field to assess its potential habitability and understand its geological evolution. It will use radar, spectrometers, magnetometers, and cameras to map the surface, probe the subsurface, and analyze the moon’s magnetic environment and thin atmosphere. This data will provide insights into Ganymede’s role in the Jovian system and its potential to support life.
Bibliography
“Colorado.” Jupiter, lasp.colorado.edu/mop/files/2015/08/jupiter_ch16-1.pdf. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
What to expect from Junocam at Jupiter. The Planetary Society. (n.d.). https://www.planetary.org/articles/06090600-what-to-expect-from-junocam
NASA. (n.d.). Juno: Microwave Radiometer (MWR) – the NSSDCA – NASA. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experiment/display.action?id=2011-040A-04
Hassel, Alton, C., Fischer, & G, D. (2023). Research databases: EBSCO. EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com. https://research.ebsco.com/c/m7jfwd/viewer/html/oenkvkdw3r
Home Page: EBSCO. EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com. (n.d.). https://www.ebsco.com/
NASA. (n.d.). Europa – NASA Science. NASA. https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/moons/europa/
Libretexts. (2023, February 13). 2.1.5: Spectrophotometry. Chemistry LibreTexts. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_%28Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry%29/Kinetics/02%3A_Reaction_Rates/2.01%3A_Experimental_Determination_of_Kinetics/2.1.05%3A_Spectrophotometry
NASA. (2023, July 26). NASA’s Hubble observations suggest underground ocean on Jupiter’s largest moon. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-hubble-observations-suggest-underground-ocean-on-jupiters-largest-moon/#:~:text=NASA’s%20Hubble%20Space%20Telescope%20has,the%20water%20on%20Earth’s%20surface.
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