Sir Robert Wilson Lecture 2022: Robotic Exploration of our Solar System

This year, the Sir Robert Wilson Lecture will be given by two prestigious speakers: Professor Emma Bunce from the University of Leicester and Professor Michele Dougherty from Imperial College, London. 

Title: Robotic Exploration of our Solar System

Abstract: Robotic exploration of the solar system has advanced our understanding of planets and moons substantially over the last few decades, from interior structures to space environments. These advanced spacecraft with their state-of-the-art instruments are launched towards their targets many years before the first in situ observations are made, and consideration of what will come next in terms of future planetary exploration is often decided many years before launch. Between them, Michele and Emma have gained experience of developing proposals for new missions, and leading instrument science teams on various interplanetary explorers – such as NASA/ESA Cassini mission to Saturn, the ESA/JAXA mission to Mercury, and the ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) to Jupiter and Ganymede.

In this lecture, Michele and Emma will compare and contrast their personal experiences, highlighting key discoveries from the NASA/ESA Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, and taking a look forward to two upcoming solar system missions: the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury and the ESA Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission to Jupiter and Ganymede. While these three missions are separated in time and space, each one links to the next scientifically, providing significant steps forward in our understanding.

Links

• Professor Emma Bunce’s academic profile
• Professor Michele Dougherty’s academic profile
• Poster (PDF): Sir Robert Wilson Lecture

Image

ESA JUICE Mission – Credit: Spacecraft: ESA/ATG medialab; Jupiter: NASA/ESA/J. Nichols (University of Leicester); Ganymede: NASA/JPL; Io: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona; Callisto and Europa: NASA/JPL/DLR