SmallSat Missions Traveling to Planetary Targets from Near-Earth-Space: Applications for Space Physics
Abstract
Recent advances in propulsion technology and interplanetary navigation theoretically allow very small spacecraft to travel directly to planetary destinations from near-Earth-space. Because there are currently many launches with excess mass capability (NASA, military, and even commercial), we anticipate a dramatic increase in the number of opportunities for missions to planetary targets. Spacecraft as small as 12U CubeSats can use solar electric propulsion to travel from Earth-orbit to Mars-orbit in approximately 2-3 years. Space physics missions are particularly well suited for such mission architectures since state-of-the-art instrumentation to answer fundamental science questions can be accommodated in relatively small payload packages. For example, multi-point measurements of the martian magnetosphere, ionosphere, and crustal magnetic fields would yield important new science results regarding atmospheric escape and the geophysical history of the martian surface. These measurements could be accomplished by a pair of 12U CubeSats with world-class instruments that require only modest mass, power, and telemetry resources (e.g. Goddard's mini-fluxgate vector magnetometer).
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017AGUFMSM13G..05E
- Keywords:
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- 9820 Techniques applicable in three or more fields;
- GENERAL OR MISCELLANEOUS;
- 2499 General or miscellaneous;
- IONOSPHERE;
- 6699 General or miscellaneous;
- PUBLIC ISSUES;
- 7899 General or miscellaneous;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS