Study on use of ISEE-B platform as a probe for ESA/NASA cometary mission. Volume 1: Technical results

The use of the existing international Sun Earth explorer B (ISEE-B) concept as probe for the planned cometary mission is assessed. A systems review covers mission and operations, selection and accommodation of a model payload as well as probe system configuration trade-offs. Starting from ISEE-B structure and subsystems, preferred solutions are selected and various options presented. Special points of effort were the definition of an micrometeorite hazard protection shield, the electromagnetic cleanliness, the confirmation of the thermal control design feasibility and the layout of spin-up ejection mechanism, which enclosed the antenna. It is concluded that the proposed probe baseline design and the subsystem concept are feasible and within state-of-the-art.