La NASA ha annunciato giovedì di aver scelto due concetti di esplorazione robotica del sistema solare fra i 12 sottoposti da un team di ricercatori: uno mira a raggiungere una cometa, l’altro implica l’invio di una sonda verso Titan, la più grande luna di Saturno.
Dopo studi più approfonditi, l’agenzia spaziale statunitense dovrà decidere entro il 2019 quale concretizzare. La missione vera e propria debutterà nel 2020 e sarà la quarta selezionata nel quadro del programma New Frontiers (nuove frontiere), dotato di un budget di 850 milioni di dollari.
Le comete sono formate da materiali provenienti da stelle e nuvole interstellari che risalgono all’alba dei tempi: la loro esplorazione permetterebbe di ottenere preziose informazioni sulla nascita del sistema solare. Quanto a Titan, sul satellite potrebbero esistere forme di vita, in quanto disporrebbe di un vero e proprio oceano d’acqua nascosto sotto un fitto strato di ghiaccio.
AFP/ludoC
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