James Tuttle Keane

Io is a priority destination for solar system exploration, as it is the best natural laboratory to study the intertwined processes of tidal heating, extreme volcanism, and atmosphere-magnetosphere interactions. Io exploration is relevant to understanding terrestrial planets and moons (including the early Earth), ocean worlds, and exoplanets across the cosmos. The scope and importance of science questions at Io necessitates a broad portfolio of research and analysis, telescopic observations, and planetary missions—including a dedicated, New Frontiers class Io mission.

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WHITE PAPERS TO THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 2023–2032 PLANETARY SCIENCE AND ASTROBIOLOGY DECADAL SURVEY RELATED TO IO:

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• The Science Case for Io Exploration (Keane et al.)

• Recommendations for Addressing Priority Io Science in the Next Decade (Keane et al.)

• Exploration Strategy for the Outer Planets 2023–2032: Goals and Priorities (Moore et al. and OPAG)

• Open Science Questions and Missing Measurements in the Radiation Belts of Jupiter (Neńon et al.)

• Priority Questions for Jupiter System Science in the 2020s and Opportunities for Europa Clipper (Sayanagi et al.)

• The Magnetosphere of Jupiter: Moving from Discoveries Towards Understanding (Crary et al.)

• PRIME: A Passive Radar Sounding Concept for Io

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HIGH-RESOLUTION FIGURES OF IO:

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• Io images on the Bruce Murray Space Image Library (The Planetary Society)

• Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) Tidal Heating Workshop Image Gallery

• Graphics about the Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets

• Io images at the JPL Photojournal

• Io images by Kevin M. Gill

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ADDITIONAL REVIEW ARTICLES AND RESOURCES ABOUT IO:

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• The Space Environment of Io and Europa. Bagenal and Dols. (2020). JGR Space Physics, 125, 5, e2019JA027485.

• Tidal Heating: Lessons from Io and the Jovian System. de Kleer et al. (2019). Final report for the Keck Institute for Space Studies.

• Io after Galileo: A new View of Jupiter's Volcanic Moon (PDF). Lopes and Spencer (Eds.). (2007). Praxis Publishing. 

• Jupiter: The Planet, Satellites, and Magnetosphere (PDF). Bagenal, Dowling, and McKinnon (Eds.). (2004) Praxis Publishing.

• NASA Solar System Exploration, Io: An interactive portal for the general public with an interactive map of Io, facts, and images.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT IO VOLCANO OBSERVER (IVO):

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• https://ivo.lpl.arizona.edu/

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