Abstract
— This paper describes the new mission possibilities and technology requirements for a high power Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) system using a Taurus-class launch vehicle. A 10-kW Hall Effect Thruster with Anode Layer (TAL) running direct-drive off a high voltage solar array could produce enough thrust to enable very rapid missions with a small sciencecraft to various destinations throughout the solar system. After defining the propulsion system characteristics, a palette of different missions were studied to quantify the total wet spacecraft mass and corresponding mission trip times. The missions considered include two main-belt asteroid rendezvous (Vests and Ceres), and a comet rendezvous (Kopff), and with launches to either low Earth orbit (LEO) or Earth escape. Results show that this high power SEP system first enables LEO to escape trajectories to be performed in about 2-3 months, therefore increasing the effective mass capability of small launchers, and second can be used for very rapid transportation of small spacecraft (50 kg) to the mainbelt asteroids and short-period comets. Typical flight times for such missions vary from 1.0 to 1.5 years, which is half the time that the New Millennium DS-1 SEP system (NSTAR) technology would offer.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
