New Frontiers program
The New Frontiers Program is one of NASA programs for the exploration of the solar system by space probes. The projects under this program are (up to 2020) belongs to the long-term exploration strategy of NASA as a medium -class missions and thus form the link between the smaller, simpler, more cost-effective ( 300-500 million U.S. $ ) missions of the Discovery Program and the large, expensive (800-2800 million U.S. $), complex " flagship " missions.
The research strategy for the New Frontiers program was first - to accommodate the spacecraft New Horizons - formulated in 2002 and 2003 set up the first budget for the NASA program. The name goes back to John F. Kennedy, who in 1961 advocated the search for "new frontiers " in his government program as internal political motto.
The New Frontiers program represents the change of the new way of NASA. NASA wants to put a greater emphasis on the exploration of the solar system. It should now be carried out more detailed studies in the field of planetary science. NASA has the scientific communities in the U.S. and around the world invited to participate in the program.
Missions
The first probe, which was launched this program in 2006, is the Pluto New Horizons spacecraft.
As a second probe Juno launched in August 2011 to Jupiter.
In 2008, the selection process began for the third mission. In December 2009, NASA announced three final candidates known:
- A Venus lander that will study the atmosphere and a soil sample. Name: Venus In-Situ Explorer ( VISE ), now renamed Surface and Atmosphere Geochemical Explorer ( SAGE ).
- OSIRIS - REx ( Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer), a probe, investigate an asteroid, land on it, remove rock samples and they should bring back to Earth. The objective is ( 101955 ) Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid that with a probability of 1:1800 hitting the Earth in the year 2170. It is characterized by a very carbonaceous surface on which possibly also complex organic molecules are present.
- MoonRise, recirculation of material samples from the South Pole - Aitken Basin of the Moon.
The three finalists will get additional funds for detailed planning. Mid-2011, will select one of these missions, NASA. This third New Frontiers mission to be launched before 2018.
Originally a flyby probe was studied to Saturn.
On 25 May 2011, NASA has announced that it has chosen for the mission OSIRIS - REx.