To infinity and beyond

For the last 50 years or so, several robotic space missions have visited the gas giant worlds, Jupiter and Saturn. The data from these spacecraft have advanced our knowledge of the magnetic fields surrounding these worlds, or their magnetospheres. Closer examination of the data has also highlighted important differences between Jupiter and Saturn. In this talk, we will be looking at some of the important discoveries related to the exploration of the magnetospheres of these huge planets, and briefly look at some of the related science goals of the JUICE (JUpiter ICy Moon Explorer) mission, presently en-route to Jupiter and its three biggest moons.

At present, Earth is the only place in the Universe where we know life is present. Mars is the nearest location where life could have evolved beyond the Earth. We will discuss the prospects for life on Mars in the context of potential habitability of other solar system locations including outer planet moons. We will look at current and future Mars missions, especially Perseverance which is collecting samples for later return to Earth, and the ESA-NASA Rosalind Franklin mission which will drill up to 2m below the harsh Martian surface for the first time to search for past life on Mars. We will discuss the UK’s key industry and academic contributions to this exciting mission, for launch in 2028 and landing in 2030.