As humans extend their quest for knowledge deeper into the solar system and beyond, there will be a need for probes that last much longer than previously planned missions. While historical performance and lessons learned can be leveraged to ensure initial success, ensuring success for 50 years or more is a new territory and presents agency and community challenges.

This longer duration will introduce demands and risks that were not plausible on shorter missions —including technical, personnel, management, and support continuity risks — or forecastable with traditional ground testing or analysis. What is forecastable, is that the current thinking around traditional designs, assurance, planning, operations and testing will need to expand to solve these challenges. 

This webinar will provide a summary of currently known information and considerations in formulating a path forward to support these mission types and gather additional insights from the audience to ensure the agency formulates effective, well-rounded and optimal solutions to these challenges.