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Robotic explorers (1)
JPL, planetary exploration, and the National Academies

It is interesting to compare JPL "whish-list" to the National Academies impartial list of valuable robotic missions.

JPL is excited by technology and has no issue with cost.

The National Academies are precisely tasked with balancing costs against priorities.

The two mostly agree on a list of missions - missions that might form the nucleus of a tentative planetary exploration program for the 80's.

On top of the list are the Venus Orbiting Imaging Radar, the Jupiter Orbiter with Probe, and an out-of-the-ecliptic solar mission.

Ranking fourth is an early cometary flyby (Encke, which short period of 3.3 years provides opportunity in 1976 and 1980). The early cometary flyby is seen as a necessary step before a flight to Halley in 1986.

Moon and Mars polar orbiters are also desirable but they are hampered by Apollo and Viking respective costs.

There's also a tentative Mercury orbiter, perhaps as a follow-on to Mariner 10.

Notably absent from the Academies priorities are Mars landers, rovers, penetrators or sample return crafts, for the simple reason Viking results are not yet known. There JPL disagree, ranking MSR as a top priority mission whatever the Viking results.

Long term endeavour includes a Saturn orbiter and of course the 1986 Halley opportunity.

There's also the question of spare spacecrafts. Pioneer, Helios, Viking, Voyager and Mariner 10 left a trail of duplicate, backup spare crafts around which opportunity missions might be designed.

The backup Mariner 10 craft might be flown as either a lunar orbiter or an Encke flyby craft.

Pioneer H has been proposed as either the Jupiter orbiter or for the out-of-the-ecliptic mission.

Voyager 3 might be flown to Uranus, perhaps with an entry probe.

The third Viking lander might be modified as either a tracked rover.

Helios C has been proposed – once again – as an Encke flyby ship.

Truth be told, spare crafts are rarely flown. What seems to be a valuable idea at first glance usually run into obsolescence and cost issues.
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