Ariel
Ariel, out of all of Uranus’ larger moons, is without a doubt, the most appropriate to send a probe to. It consists mostly of roughly equal amounts of water ice, and silicate rock. Its surface seems to be young in comparison to the rest of the moons. It has fewer large craters and many small ones, and it’s also thought to have the most recent geologic activity as it is transected by grabens, which are fault-bounded valleys. The existence of possible tangible activity is crucial as it may guide scientists to discover extraterrestrial life features. Thus, it is logical to focus on analyzing celestial bodies that may offer such characteristics.
It was discovered in 1851 by William Lassel and named after a character of two different English literature plays. It is said to have the most eminent surface, which scientists have had the chance to examine easier than others, thanks to its neutral color. Its brightness suggests that its surface has been darkened by a carbonaceous material, which refers to any organic material that comprises a substantial amount of carbon content. For example, petroleum - which could provide our society with a stable resource for multiple industries, enhance the usage of hydrocarbons, among many others, as its usefulness in many different aspects keeps increasing.
After the previous analysis of Ariel, we can conclude that sending a probe to the largest Uranus moon would allot this project rightfully. It should focus on examining its unique terrain, sampling materials that can be found on its grabens, as we believe it would be sensical to prioritize detecting any sort of cognizable life or to further investigate its environment that could benefit humankind in the future.
