The Future Of Planetary Atmospheric, Surface, And Interior Science Using Radio And Laser Links

Studies of planetary systems using spacecraft radio links constitute the field of Radio Science (RS). Experiments have been conducted on almost every planetary mission in the past five decades and have led to numerous discoveries. With substantial technical advancements in recent years, the following significant accomplishments are noted: • Elucidated the thermal history of the Moon from the GRAIL high precision gravitational field • Unveiled the interiors of Titan, Enceladus, Mercury, Phobos, Vesta, Ceres, and cometary nuclei from gravity fields, contributing to understanding their origins (Figure 1) • Sounded Titan, Saturn, and Plutou0027s atmospheres • Explored the surface properties of Pluto and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko • Refined models for the atmospheres, surfaces, and interior structure of Mars and Venus • Juno and Cassini are currently measuring the gravity fields of Jupiter and Saturn to reveal their interior structures • Provided evidence for subsurface oceans on icy moons to expand understanding of potentially habitable bodies • Investigated the solar corona and the interaction of the solar wind with planetary atmospheres, and • Profiled the structure of Saturnu0027s rings, which interact with moonlets.