The spacecraft that will go to Jupiter and Uranus

China is planning an ambitious two-for-one trip to the outer planets. The spacecraft that will go to Jupiter and Uranus will leave around 2030. The mission will be called Tianwen 4.

There will go a large probe destined for Jupiter. And a smaller spacecraft to be sent to make a flyby of distant Uranus.

The spacecraft that will go to Jupiter and Uranov will leave on a single rocket.
The ships that will go to Jupiter and Uranov will leave on a single rocket.

Long voyage

The pair will launch on a Long Voyage 5 rocket. It will use one flyby of Venus and two flybys of Earth to launch the spacecraft. The trajectory will be directed toward the outer solar system. It will then separate to set course for their respective targets.

China has previously stated that it was in the planning stages of a mission to Jupiter. Further details were given by Wang Qiong of the China National Space Administration (CNSA). He presented new details at the International Astronautical Congress 2022 in Paris.

The main spacecraft will be dedicated to investigating the Jupiter system. It will eventually enter orbit around the moon Callisto. It will make a detailed investigation of the outermost of the Galilean moons.

The smaller spacecraft will have a mass of a few hundred kilograms. According to Wang, it will make the longest trip to Uranus. The presentation also suggests that the spacecraft could fly alongside an asteroid as it leaves the sun.

The moon Callisto is the size of Mercury.
The moon Callisto is the size of Mercury.

Moons of Jupiter

“Science targets are still under consideration,” Wang told Space.com. China was weighing focusing on Callisto as a prime target. This could reveal a lot about the moon and the history of the Jovian system. And also investigate Jupiter’s irregular satellites. It would give us an insight into the early days of the solar system.

The spacecraft that will go to Jupiter and Uranus are part of a mission with high expectations. A lander was previously envisioned as part of the Callisto-focused mission profile. But Wang says the latest concept includes an orbiter, and no longer a lander.

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