The next step in the orderly intensive exploration of the outer planets, following the Galileo and Cassini missions, is a similar orbiter and atmospheric probe mission to Neptune. Preliminary recommendations from NASA scientific advisory groups have already been made for such a mission to Neptune and the initial planning has begun. The effort reported herein is part of that initial planning effort lead by Dr. Stuart J. Kemdge of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to perform a preliminary design study of the orbiterlprobe mission to ascertain technical feasibility to meet scientific desires. The specific scientific desire for the atmospheric probe is to conduct in situ observations within Neptune's atmosphere to pressure levels of 75-100 bars in order to penetrate through the CH4, NH3, H2S, NH4SH, and H20 clouds thought to exist above that pressure level. This study effort performed a detailed examination of the deployment, design, and operation of an atmospheric entry probe system to accomplish the above mission objective. The fundamental conclusion of the study is that the feasibility of a "Galileolike" atmospheric probe mission to Neptune to perform in situ measurements to pressure levels of 75-100 bars has been demonstrated in almost all respects.

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