''Kronos'' is a concept mission to

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...

. It is aimed at detailed study of the chemical composition of Saturn's atmosphere, gravity and magnetic fields. The proposal consists of the solar powered carrier spacecraft, two atmospheric probes and (possibly) two small probes for the close-up imaging of the Saturnian rings. ''Kronos'' was proposed in 2009 as a collaboration between

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

and ESA. After the launch and several flybys of Venus, Earth and Jupiter, ''Kronos'' would arrive at Saturn. The cruise time depends on chosen trajectory and is from 6 to 17 years. In the vicinity of Saturn two atmospheric probes are to be released, entering the atmosphere of Saturn and obtaining information on

chemical composition A chemical composition specifies the identity, arrangement, and ratio of the elements making up a compound. Chemical formulas can be used to describe the relative amounts of elements present in a compound. For example, the chemical formula for ...

(including isotopic ratios), temperature, wind speeds and cloud structure to pressures down to 10 bars. Two rings probes, if implemented, would also be released in order to provide images of ring particles from a very close distance (a few kilometers). The carrier spacecraft is proposed to fly by Saturn at a close distance obtaining precision information on the gravitational and magnetic fields of Saturn as well as on the atmospheric circulation and deep composition of the atmosphere. The carrier spacecraft design closely follows that of Jupiter orbiter ''Juno'' including solar panels. The proposed design of the descent probes would be similar to that of ''

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He was ...

''s atmospheric entry probe. The mission would be generally based on existing technology.

References

Missions to Saturn Orbiters (space probe) Proposed spacecraft {{spacecraft-stub