Design a manned mission to Jupiter and it's moons

[Kerbface]

With technology that is generally thought to be possible without much dissention and likely to be available within the next century (No antimatter drives and no FTL travel) design a mission to the Jovian system. You can use existing or planned craft or make up your own. You must get at least 1 person on every Gallilean moon with enough time to gather enough samples and do enough scientific exploration to make the trip a valuable one. Your goals beyond that are optional. More detail = more points, and more points = more self-satisfaction.

[The Scientific Moustache]

well you could re-purpose habitation modules from the international space station to cut down on to orbit mass.

[Pugspaceprogram]

I had a file of a realistic mission to Jupiter I made on orbiter 2010. I can't find it. It had artificial gravity, habitations modules and a lunar slingshot. From there you could see the Apollo 11 Mun landing. It took several years to get there though. If I find the file I will send it here.

[LaydeeDem]

I'm sorry but manned landings on the inner Galilean moons are impossible due to radiation. The only Galilean moon safe enough to do a landing and EVA on would be Callisto. All other missions would have to be robotic, and even then radiation would mess with the computers. Unless you could invent some sort of magnetic field generator like the one seen in the BBC documentary "Voyage to the Planets", no people on Io, Europa, or Ganymede.

[Fox62]

Phase 1: Assemble VASMIR engine powered tranporter in LEO. It's powered by several fusion reactors, and uses high strength electro-magnets to shield it from radiation. Orbital assembly allows for the ship to be huge (in excess of 2.5 km in length), without needing an equally huge launcher.

Phase 2: Send up crew in Dragon Rider capsules to minimze the nuber of launches necessary to deliver crew. Mission calls for a crew of 50 individuals, who are the best of the best in their respective fields.

Phase 3: Attach all remaining mission modules 1 day before ideal transfer burn start time.

Phase 4: Transfer to Jupiter. Electro-magnetic Radiation shielding was activated up on leaving Earth's SOI.

Phase 5: Enter Jupiter SOI. Braking burn to insert into orbit starts.

Phase 6: Scientific operations begin. Robotic landers are deployed to all moons except Callisto. Callisto landing team undocks lander from Mothership.

Callisto Landing, crew take numerous crust samples, plant flag, and return to mothership.

Robotic Landers complete their mission, analyze the data, and relay it to the mothership.

Phase 7: Transfer back to Earth.

Phase 8: Earth magnetosphere entered, MRS (Magnetic Radiation Shielding) deactivated. Orbital insertion burn start.

Phase 9: Crew are shuttled back down aboard Dragon Rider Capsules. Data relayed back to Earth, Mothership shuts down all non-essential systems and waits in orbit for next mission.

[Kaleb]

If we forgo manned landings, and just send a manned "mothership" (to teleoperate robotic landers, maybe?), I wonder if a "Mini-Magnetosphere" could provide the required radiation shielding. And as a bonus, perhaps provide efficient propulsion as well.

Edit: Beaten by Fox62, re: magnetic shielding, although I think straight-up electromagnetic shields end up being too massive, unless you inflate them with some type of plasma.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Kaleb

[baracksimposter]

or you could use the liquid storage as a shield http://what-if.xkcd.com/29/

and magnetic shielding would use way too much power, just use your liquid and probably a thin layer of gold and lead to keep the radiation out, not sure how effective gold and lead are though...

[metaphor]

There was a NASA study on a human mission to Callisto a few years ago.

Here's one of the presentations.

Also a more detailed one (20 MB).