ESA Science & Technology - TandEM (Titan and Enceladus Mission) Workshop

Organisers:	A. Coustenis (LESIA, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon) TandEM Lead Scientist J-P. Lebreton (ESA-ESTEC) TandEM Study Scientist
LOC:	A. Coustenis	(Athena.coustenisobspm.fr)
	M. Fulchignoni	(marcello.fulchignoniobspm.fr)
	M. Combes	(michel.combesobspm.fr)

This is an announcement for the first Workshop on the TandEM mission, jointly organized by the Paris-Meudon observatory (CIAS) and ESA. TandEM is to carry out a detailed in situ exploration of two moons of Saturn, Titan and Enceladus, that Cassini-Huygens revealed to us as two of the most fascinating bodies of the Solar System. Following ESA's Cosmic Vision call for a mission to be launched in the 2015-2025 timeframe, TandEM was selected, together with Laplace, a mission to explore Europa and the Jupiter system, as a candidate large mission to the Outer Solar System for further study.

TandEM was proposed as a large international collaborative effort, by a team of 155 members from more than a dozen countries all over the world. This ambitious mission will address several of the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 call themes.  The proposed mission includes a Titan orbiter, Titan in situ elements (e.g. a hot air balloon, three Probe/landers, mini-penetrators) and an Enceladus penetrator.

Meanwhile, NASA recently selected three flagship missions to the outer solar system for further studies: Europa Explorer, Jupiter System Observer and Titan Explorer. The ESA Cosmic Vision mission studies and NASA's flagship mission studies will be closely coordinated and eventually merged into two missions, one to Europa/Jupiter and one to Titan & Enceladus. A selection between these two as the next mission to the Outer Solar System is planned to take place within a year.

Titan and Enceladus, two of the most exciting and challenging bodies of the Saturnian system, are unique objects in our Solar System. These two moons are the only ones so far to exhibit atmospheres among the kronian satellites and their surfaces, revealed by Cassini-Huygens, have astonished the planetary community. Therefore, considering the complementary nature of the geological, chemical and evolutionary history of Titan and Enceladus, we propose to carry out studies for a mission to perform an in situ exploration of these two objects in tandem. TandEM will build on but exceed the scientific and technological accomplishments of the Cassini-Huygens mission, exploring Titan and Enceladus in ways that are not currently possible with Cassini (full close-up and in situ coverage over long periods of time).

ESA is initiating a number of studies of key areas of the mission. These studies will consider the TandEM science and payload definition aiming at providing a critical review of the science goals and will identify ESA's potential contribution to an international mission to Titan and Enceladus to be developed in collaboration with NASA and JAXA.  Early in the study, a technology plan will be developed that will allow to implement the mission in a timely fashion within the Cosmic Vision timeframe.  Special emphasis will also be placed on defining, together with the science community and their funding agencies, a payload development plan that will allow fulfilling the ambitious science goals.

The workshop objectives are to present the current status of the TandEM study activities within ESA and the international scheme that is being put in place to define the next mission to the Outer Solar System.  This workshop will provide an opportunity to the wide planetary science community to interact with the TandEM science study team and ESA to further refine the mission's goals, its science drivers and the necessary technology development including for the science payload.

The workshop is jointly organized by the Paris-Meudon Observatory (CIAS), with the support of ESA. It will take place at the Meudon Observatory, France. It is planned to start in the afternoon of March 17 2008 and finish by 19 March at 18:00. Any individual interested in the science and technology related to TandEM is encouraged to participate.

Please register for this meeting by logging into the TandEM web site (pass: tandem_2007) at:
http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/cosmicvision/tandem/index.php

Under "Upcoming meetings" you will then find the direct link to the first TandEM workshop page
http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/cosmicvision/tandem/FirstWorkshop.php
where you can register by signing with your name.

An agenda of the workshop will be issued around mid-February.

Further information about the TandEM mission is available at the TandEM proposal web site: http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/cosmicvision/tandem/index.php

Logistics of the workshop

For access to Meudon see:
http://www.grandpublic.obspm.fr/Site-of-Meudon

If you are looking for a hotel in Paris, you can explore the following web site
http://www.hotels-paris.fr/fr/?FSTBKOP=GOOGLE-PARIS-FR
You can choose the 7th, 14th, or 15th arrondissement (district) of Paris, taking into account that the easier way to come to Meudon (Bellevue station) is to take the train from Montparnasse. Or you can choose any other arrondissement along the Seine, because the RER-C (the Reseau Extra-urbain Rapide, which leads to the station Meudon Val Fleury) runs along the river.
For those planning to spend the night in Meudon, be advised that a new chain hotel recently opened within reasonable walking (climbing) distance from the Observatoire.
You will find all the details at:
http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/etp/6277/
or contact the LOC.