Ganymede Lander

Ganymede LanderThe Ganymede Lander would launch along with the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft in 2022, arriving at Jupiter around 2030 after using gravitational assists to reach the giant planet. The collaboration would allow JUICE to scour Ganymede for a suitable landing site for the lander, although a separate Russian orbiter might also join the launch to provide a back-up option to find a landing site. The lander itself would be a stationary vehicle, touching down on a region of interest on Ganymede to perform scientific analysis. A large antenna on the top would communicate with Earth, while numerous instruments including cameras and spectrometers would analyse the surrounding area. The main focus of the mission would be astrobiology.

 

 

Read more at:

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/laplas.html

http://www.spaceanswers.com/futuretech/could-we-land-on-ganymede-russia-says-yes-and-heres-how-theyd-do-it/

Image appeared in Issue 15 of magazine "All About Space".