●Uranus is approximately 19.
19 AU from the sun,
meaning that the moon Miranda is around that distance
too
●Miranda's diameter is around 470 kilometers (292
miles), the mass is 6.59 × 10^19 kg, surface gravity is
0.00785g, surface temperature is -213 °C, and the
escape velocity of 190 m/s
●Miranda is the smallest and closest of Uranus’ five
round moons. At 129000 km away from the surface of
the planet
●Like our moon, Miranda experiences tidal locking: the
same face always points towards Uranus
●Miranda has diverse and unique topological features
that are surprising for its small size. Several other
planets and moons have some of the same
characteristics, so a single mission to Miranda could
inform research of many other celestial bodies
Coronae Verona Rupes Sulci
How did the “patchwork” terrain form?
●Orbital resonance with another moon resulting in tidal
forces from Uranus
●Radioactive decay providing heat for internal
differentiation (materials grouping together based on
physical or chemical properties)
●Collision breaking Miranda apart into separate
fragments, which then eventually reassembled
Is the ocean on Miranda currently frozen?
●Miranda likely contains ~60% ice, and once likely had a
liquid ocean. Some studies argue that there may still be
a subsurface ocean, citing the lack of cracks on the
surface that would have formed while freezing
●Miranda is suspected to be releasing plasma particles
through plumes triggered by high-energy impacts
What elements (besides water) are found on the
surface of Miranda?
●Clathrates (chemical lattice structures that trap other
molecules) are hypothesized to be responsible for
Miranda’s heat.
●At the edge of some impact craters, there is shiny
material, with darker streaks observed deeper in the
crater
●Methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen may
exist in small concentrations
Why does Miranda show a higher crater density on the
side opposite to the direction of its orbital motion?
●Typically, the reverse is true because the leading side
“sweeps up” crater-forming debris. A past event could
have changed Miranda’s axis of rotation, but there is a
lack of documentation of the Northern Hemisphere, so
it is unknown where the original axis of rotation was
Beyond Miranda: a unique vantage point to explore
Uranus and its rings
●Questions persist about Uranus’ magnetic field (which
is significantly tilted and interacts uniquely with the
solar wind), as well as its capability for dynamic
weather changes despite the lack of heat
●Unlike Saturn’s, Uranus’ rings are dark and narrow. They
may be composed of organic compounds
Miranda has only been observed from space once, with
Voyager 2’s flyby in 1986. The flyby provided an image of
only the Southern Hemisphere.
How to get to Miranda
●To reach a planet as far as Uranus, a spacecraft has to
use the orbits and alignments of other planets to get
there. Making the nearest launch date in 2031
●The path to Miranda is a long one, but it is the same
one that Voyager and Cassini took
○Earth →Venus→Earth→ Mars
→Jupiter→Saturn→ Uranus→ Miranda
●This is the process of gravity assist
○Gravity Assist is a gravity slingshot using relative
movement (The orbit around the sun) and the
gravity of a different astronomical object to alter
the path and speed of a spacecraft in order to save
propellant. This can either speed up or slow down
a spacecraft
○The gravitational assist around a planet changes a
spacecraft's velocity, and by entering and leaving
the gravitational sphere of a planet (or celestial
body), the sum of kinetic energies remains
constant
This spacecraft is intended to stay in orbit for as long as
possible, so no concern about returning to Earth. It will
spend its last days collecting data on Miranda!
This image shows the path that Ferdinand will travel to
Miranda’s orbit. First, Ferdinand will travel to Venus, taking
approximately 3–7 months to cover about 68 million km.
Although this method increases travel time and distance, it
uses an important method known as a gravity assist or
slingshot maneuver. This technique uses the gravitational
field of a planet to alter the spacecraft’s trajectory and
adjust its speed. As our satellite falls towards Venus, it will
accelerate from Venus’s orbital motion. This is helpful to
reduce the amount of fuel required, making long space
missions more feasible and cost-effective.
Preceding Spacecraft
-
Components of Satellite & Design Choices
High-Gain Communication Antenna
●Enables high-speed, one-way communication for
receiving commands from Earth and sending data back
Low-Gain Communication Antenna
●Enables slow-speed, multi-dimensional communication
for receiving commands from Earth and sending data
back
Magnetometer
●Measures the strength and direction of a planet’s
magnetic field. Missions such as Voyager 2, the only
spacecraft to ever see Miranda, had a magnetometer
on board
Radio/Plasma Wave Subsystem Antenna
●Used to detect radio emissions around Uranus to learn
about Uranus’s magnetosphere and atmospheric
activity
●Used to detect plasma, which is like a superheated soup
of charged particles surrounding the planet
●Help to detect dust impacts that hit the spacecraft at
high velocity. This helps to gain knowledge on Uranus’s
ring structure and particle density
Radioisotope thermoelectric generator
●A way to provide the necessary power and heat over
long distances for the operation of a spacecraft
Radar
●Can be used to probe beneath Miranda’s icy crust, to
reveal its internal structure and subsurface oceans
●Helps reveal details that may be obscured by darkness
or atmospheric haze
●Insights into the compassion of materials on Miranda,
such as ice, rock, and possibly metals
Context camera
●Captures wide-angle images
○Helpful to understand the relationship between
surface features and subsurface processes
○Creating a detailed geological map
○Investigating landing sites for future missions
High-Resolution Camera
●Captures close-up images to help search and provide
more information of a subsurface ocean and investigate
cryovolcanic activity
