It is shown that for the ROSETTA comet nucleus sample return mission, the most flexible mission design is the so-called hybrid, which utilizes electric propulsion for the Earth to comet cruise and chemical propulsion for the Earth return phase. This type of mission, which would also be compatible with an Ariane-5 launch, features an electric propulsion stage based on 6 RIT-35 thrusters, 32 kW of power and provides a velocity increment of 8.5 km/s. This electric stage is jettisoned at comet encounter after perihelion. The proposed baseline mission is based on a Titan-Centaur G launcher and a stack of three spacecraft, functioning respectively as cruiser, lander, and aerocapsule; the total launch mass is 4000 kg, including 2300 kg of biliquid propellant stored in the cruise spacecraft. The Earth-comet cruise features a 2 yr Earth-gravity-assist trajectory and necessitates a supplementary velocity increment of 1800 m/s by the spacecraft chemical propulsion system. The resulting trajectory will encounter the comet Churymov-Gerasimenko at aphelion, at 5.5 AU, 4.5 yr after launch. The spacecraft will land on a preselected site, where sampling will be carried out by drilling/scooping mechanisms. The cruiser and the aerocapsule will then be injected into an Earth return trajectory (Delta-V = 900 m/s), leaving the lander spacecraft behind on the comet. The aerocapsule will be recovered on Earth following an autonomous parachute-assisted reentry 3.5 yr after comet departure and 8 yr years after launch, in the year 2009.


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    Title :

    ROSETTA/CNSR Mission: A Possible Application of Electric Propulsion to Interplanetary Missions


    Contributors:
    A. Atzei (author)

    Publication date :

    1988


    Size :

    6 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English






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