Miranda’s “Voyager”: Charting Unexplored Terrain

Miranda, a moon of Uranus, is the target of my RPS-powered mission. Despite its small size, this intriguing world boasts 20-kilometer-deep canyons and coronae—oval features hypothesized to form when subsurface material wells up and refreezes on its icy surface. Recent studies hint at a subsurface ocean beneath its 30-kilometer-thick crust. Studying both this hidden ocean and Miranda’s striking terrain could reveal its geological history and guide our exploration of other icy moons. Discovering liquid water also raises the possibility of life, making this mission crucial for understanding habitability beyond Earth. To accomplish these goals, NASA’s REASON instrument—an ice penetrating radar operating between 9 MHz and 60 MHz—will be deployed. These frequencies can penetrate ice up to 30 kilometers, reveal dielectric properties of materials to distinguish liquid water from solid ice, and map the moon’s ocean structure and internal geography. A magnetometer will supplement these findings by detecting changes in Miranda’s magnetic field caused by any salty, conductive ocean, confirming its presence and properties. Together, these instruments will provide an in-depth view of Miranda’s subsurface and its evolutionary processes. Miranda’s extreme cold, averaging -213°C (-351°F), coupled with its vast distance from the Sun, renders solar power impractical. RPS will provide reliable energy, maintain thermal stability, and keep the instruments running smoothly in these harsh conditions. Utilizing my skills in pattern recognition and analytical insight ensures mission success. With experience analyzing complex EEG brain data, I can identify subtle patterns in radar and magnetic readings, unraveling the story of Miranda’s hidden ocean and terrain. This mission will advance not only our understanding of Miranda but also of the cosmos as a whole and its potential for life.