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The Outer Planets / Solar Probe Project : “Between an Ocean, a Rock, and a Hot Place”

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The Outer Planets / Solar Probe Project : “Between an Ocean, a Rock, and a Hot Place” The Outer Planets / Solar Probe Project : “Between an Ocean, a Rock, and a Hot Place” Robert W. Maddock Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Mail Stop 30 1- 160 Pasadena, CA 9 1 109 8 18-354-1443 [email protected] Karla B. Clark Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Californialnstitute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Mail Stop 301-160 Pasadena, CA 9 1109 8 18-354-9033 [email protected] Curt A. Henry Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Mail Stop 301-160 Pasadena, CA 9 1109 818-393-3851 [email protected] Pamela J. Hoffman Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Mail Stop 301-320 Pasadena, CA 9 1109 81 8-354-6756 [email protected] ‘ Abstract -As part of NASA’s Origins program, the Outer Plan- three solar radii from the “surface” of the Sun, to study the ets / Solar Probe Project (formerly known as the Ice and Fire structure of the corona as well as the source and mechanisms Preprojects) was established in early 1998. This flight project for the creation and acceleration of the Solar Wind. is composed of three challenging and exciting missions which span the far reaches of the solar system. Europa Orbiter, with In order to ensure success of each of these missions, under a planned launch in November of 2003, will travel to Jupiter‘s stringent mass, power,and cost constraints, the Outer Planets moon, Europa, in search of a subsurface liquid water ocean / Solar Probe Project will rely heavily on several new tech- which, if found, could provide a possible environment for the nologies. Many of these technologies are currently being de- evolution of extraterrestrial life. Pluto-Kuiper Express, with a veloped by the Deep Space System Technology Program‘s planned launch in December2004, will travelto the last planet First Delivery Project (otherwise known as X2000) and in- of the solar system yet to be visited and studied by a robotic clude: low mass, low power, and radiation hard avionics; an spacecraft, and possibly continue on an extended mission to avionics packaging scheme which utilizes embedded cabling; study the remnants from the creation of the solar system found a high efficiency, lowmass and low power transponder; a mN within the Kuiper Belt. Solar Probe, with a planned launch in (milli-Newton) thruster and variable liquid regulator; and a February 2007, will travel into the heart of the solar system, at unified flight and ground system software core and architec- ture. These and other mission-specific technologies will not only enable the Outer Planet / Solar Probe missions, but also provide the foundation upon whichtechnology is to bedevel- Copywrite 0 1999 The Institute of Electrical and Electron- oped for missions well into the future. ics Engineers, Inc. The US. Government has a royalty-free license to excercise all rights under the copyright claimed This paper summarizes each of the Outer Planet Solar Probe herein for Governmental Purposes. All other rights are missions, including the science objectives, mission descrip- reserved by the copyright owner. tion, and current spacecraft concepts. The commonalities be- tween these three missions and their reliance on the X2000 1. INTRODUCTION project, as well as the mission specific technology develop- ments required for each mission, are also discussed. Early in the next century,the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will launchthe first set of missions in an ongoing pro- gram to study the solar system. As part of the NASA Origins ACRONYMLIST initiative, these missions will search for clues into the origins ARPS Advanced Radioisotope Power Source and development of the solar system as well as life here on A.U. Astronomical Unit Earth and possibly elsewhere. The Outer Planets / Solar Probe CISM Center for Integrated Space Microsystems (OP/SP) Project is comprised of this first set of missions: DSN Deep Space Network Europa Orbiter, currently plannedto launch in November 2003; DSSTP Deep Space System Technology Program Pluto-Kuiper Express, in December 2004; and Solar Probe, in ELV Expendable Launch Vehicle February 2007. These missions, as well as the technology de- EO1 Europa Orbit Insertion velopment required enableto their success, including low mass, EUV Extreme Ultraviolet low power, and lowcost spacecraft components, will set the HGA High Gain Antenna standards for deep space exploration well into the future. IMU Inertial Measurement Unit IR Infrared Of course, many final decisions have yet to be made on the IUS Inertial Upper Stage mission implementation and spacecraft design. Many trades JGA Jupiter Gravity Assist and analyses are still on-going and have yet to be completed. JOI Jupiter Orbit Insertion Several key review and decision processes are also yet to be JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory completed, including the environmental impact process. What MCM Multi-chip Module is described here is the current (October 1998) proposed MDS Mission Data System baseline design. MGA Medium Gain Antenna NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2. PROJECTOVERVIEW OP/SP Outer Planets / Solar Probe The Outer Planets / Solar Probe (OP/SP) Project was estab- PJR Perijove Raise lished in early 1998 as the first flight project in an ongoing PKE Pluto-Kuiper Express Outer Planets / Solar Probe Exploration Program within RHU Radioisotope Heater Unit NASA, This purpose of this program is to enable deep-space Rs Solar Radii exploration by driving technology development and sharing RW Reaction Wheel cost among several missions. Spacecraft, launch systems, and SDST Small Deep Space Transponder mission operations costs must all fit within the budget of a SDT Science Definition Team single program, thus encouraging system level and program STS Space Transportation System wide (between multiple missions) trades to minimize costs. (Space Shuttle) The current plan of the OP/SP Program is to launch a mission uv Ultraviolet roughly every 2 years (on average), beginning in 2003. VLR Variable Liquid Regulator x2000 DSSTP First Delivery Project The OP/SP Project is the continuation of the Ice and Fire X-SSPA X-band Solid State Power Amplifier Preprojects, established inlate 1996, and consistsof three very exciting planetary exploration ventures. These are : TABLEOF CONTENTS Europa Orbiter mission: place a spacecraft into 1. INTRODUCTION Europa orbit and explore Jupiter’s icy moon in 2. PROJECTOVERVIEW search of a subsurface ocean, and to identify pos- 3. EUROPA ORBITER sible landing sites for future missions 4. PLUTO-KUIPEREXPRESS 5. SOLAR PROBE Pluto-Kuiper Express mission : reconnaissance 6. SUMMARY of the onlyplanet in the solar system that has 7. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS yet to be visited and possibly objects within the 8. REFERENCES vast Kuiper Belt beyond Pluto to learn and un- 9. ABOUTTHE AUTHORS derstand more about the formation of the solar system Solar Probe mission : first solar mission to go inside the stellar corona to increase the under- 7 Option Europa : Direct STS/IUS/Star48V Pluto : JGA STS/IUS/Star48V, Deltalll-AtlasllV Star48V Solar Probe : JGI Deltalll-Atlaslll/ Star48V Pluto : JGA STS/IUS/Star48V, Deltalll-AtlaslW Star48V Europa : Direct STS/IUS/Star48V Solar Probe : JGP Deltalll-Atlaslll/ Star48V Europa arrival sensitive to trajectoly design and launch date Figure 2.1: Outer Planets / Solar Probe Project Mission Timeline standing of those processes of the heating and Much of the new technology required by the OP/SP Project is acceleration of the solar wind and to obtain the being developed by the Deep Space System Technology first viewing of the solar poles at a resolution Program's (DSSTP) First Delivery Project (otherwise known better than that achieved on Earth as X2000). DSSTP is chartered with continually developing the next generation of advanced avionics, software, and other Figure 2.1 shows the current proposed OP/SP mission sched- new technologies. From this, current and future missions can ule. An option to switch the Europa Orbiter and Pluto-Kuiper draw upon recenttechnology advances and utilize those state- Express launch dates is still being maintained in the event that of-the-art spacecraft components which make sense for the technology development requiredfor the Europa Orbiter space- individual mission. This minimizes the development costs of craft is not ready in time. the individual missions, while improving performance and minimizing risk. The program level budget constraint drives the use of com- mon components and technologyacross the different missions. In partnership with the Center for Integrated Space Although the three OP/SP missions may not appear on the Microsystems (CISM), a NASA Center of Excellence, X2000 surface to have much in common, they actually share many will develop advanced avionics which can be utilized by all similarities. One of these is in the mission design, where the OP/SP missions, as well as other current and fiture flight proposed baselines call for each mission to be sent to Jupiter projects. A summary of the items which X2000 will develop before ultimately reaching its final destination. (This is dis- and deliver for use on the OP/SP, and other interested mis- cussed further in the mission description sections below.) An- sions, is provided in Table 2.1. other very important similarity between these missions is the requirement forlow mass, low power, low cost spacecraft com-Another area in which many missions will benefit, including ponents. These missions alsospan the entire environmentspec- the OP/SP missions, is that of ground and flight data systems. trum a spacecraft could encounter in flight, including: long In the past, each individual mission found itself developing a lifetime and long periods of cruise, severe radiation environ- flight and ground data system, as well as an operation strat- ment, and severe thermal environments.
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