The Comet Interceptor Mission—Making a case for Solar Electric Propulsion

Abstract

The Comet Interceptor plans to be the first mission to visit a Dynamically New Comet — by definition, a comet visiting the inner Solar System for the first time. Dynamically New Comets are detected very shortly before their closest passage to the Sun; the mission and spacecraft will have to be designed, and may be even launched, without a known target. The mission is scheduled for launch in 2028 and will stay parked in the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 2 until the start of the transfer to the target. We analyzed a Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) transfer for The Comet Interceptor Mission. Specifically, the possible encounter locations were parametrically defined and mapped according to the Δv required to reach them with SEP; a transfer to a Comet Interceptor backup target was also studied. We compared the results obtained with SEP with the available performance data for the Chemical Propulsion (CP) baseline system, establishing the superiority of the SEP option in maximizing both payload mass and reachable locations.