LAUSR

Description The mysteries of the Uranus system can be unlocked through interdisciplinary exploration Uranus and Neptune are commonly called ice giants because they have a greater percentage of heavy elements compared to the gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn. The only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune was Voyager 2 with brief flybys in 1986 and 1989—more than 30 years ago. These encounters presented a captivating view of two exotic planetary systems, leaving more questions than previously imagined. A recent survey conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identified a Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) as the planetary science community’s top priority for the next NASA large-scale mission. It will explore how Uranus formed; how much it migrated after formation; the planet’s interior structure, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and ring system; and whether any moons have or once had subsurface liquid water oceans. This mission will serve to inspire and educate multiple generations about solar system history and the mysteries at its farthest reaches.