- **Real science on deck:** Europa Clipper’s ~49 flybys will map ice structure, search for plumes, and sample the space environment—perfect prompts for plot arcs and visual worlds. JUICE follows with multi-moon tours and a Ganymede orbit, giving cross-checks and contrasts. Dragonfly adds Titan surface texture and chemistry for later seasons. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} - **New collaboration patterns:** small, nimble study groups (geo/chem/eng + writers/artists) co-develop **story kernels**; AI helps with beat sheets, animatics, and iterative visualizations—*but facts lead*. - **Cultural remix:** weave in classics (Clarke’s **2010** and Europa; Swanwick’s **Slow Life** on Titan; Lem’s cool rationalism) as “heritage nodes,” then update them with current constraints (radiation budgets, delta-V, power, ISRU).