Frankenstein’s Vacation Home: The Most Rugged Moon We Know Of

The last time a spacecraft visited Uranus and its moons was in 1986, a mission older than text messaging. Uranus has a hefty 27 moons orbiting it, each one’s name referencing classic literature. One moon with unbelievably jagged geography is Miranda, named after the play “The Tempest”. There are two well-known theories about its formation: its 26 neighboring moons warped the surface, or it was insulated by a fortified molecule called a “clathrate” which melted its ice. My mission proposal is to reopen an investigation into Uranus to determine the existence of clathrates on Miranda. The possible return to the dark and dusty ice giant is made possible by utilizing plutonium fueled RPS (radioisotope power systems) and updated technology. I will send a space probe to Miranda to photograph its surface so scientists can study the moon’s features and form a geological history. A lander spacecraft will also be sent to investigate the existence of clathrates in its core that may be trapping heat. The existence of these molecules on this “Frankenstein” moon would suggest that the theory of insulation has validity and that internal heating caused the moon to change and reform. The skill I bring to this mission is persistence. I’m pushing for the re-visitation into Uranus as an updated mission is necessary in solving the 40-year-old mysteries of its moons, especially on Miranda. This knowledge can only be acquired through utilizing RPS technology to reach the darkest parts of our solar system.