Planetary Exploration in the Early 21st Century

Article

“Planetary Exploration in the Early 21st Century” by Michael J. Neufeld
Published in Quest Volume: 31 #1 (2024)

Abstract

Robotic planetary exploration may be the easiest to project into the near future because mission development times are long and planetary encounter opportunities are sparse, leading to agency long-range planning. Since the year 2000, the enterprise has been reshaped by competitive selection of missions, a focus on Mars, and the rise of Europe and Asia as major players, replacing Russia. Planetary exploration is sustained by geopolitical signaling of national/regional technological capability and the domestic political power of spaceflight technoscientific infra-structures. Given existing plans, we can expect a Mars sample return, small planetary bodies, Venus, the Jovian moons, and Uranus to be the primary focus into the 2040s, but discovering any indications of extra-terrestrial life, past or present, could dramatically change plans..

Citation

Neufeld, Michael J. “Planetary Exploration in the Early 21st Century.” Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly 31, no. 1 (2024): 4-10.