Biology
Scientific paper
Dec 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p42a..05s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P42A-05
Biology
[6200] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects, [6280] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Saturnian Satellites
Scientific paper
As a result of discoveries made by the Cassini spacecraft, Saturn's moon Enceladus has emerged as a high science-value target for a future orbiter mission. [1] However, past studies of an Enceladus orbiter mission [2] found that entering Enceladus orbit either requires a prohibitively large orbit insertion ΔV (> 3.5 km/s) or a prohibitively long flight time. In order to reach Enceladus with a reasonable flight time and ΔV budget, a new tour design method has been developed that uses gravity-assists of the low-mass moons Rhea, Dione, and Tethys combined with v-infinity leveraging maneuvers. This new method can achieve Enceladus orbit with a combined leveraging and insertion ΔV of ~1 km/s and a 2.5 year Saturn tour.
Among many challenges in designing a trajectory for an Enceladus mission, the two most prominent arise because Enceladus is a low mass moon (its GM is only ~7 km^2/s^2), deep within Saturn's gravity well (its orbit is at 4 Saturn radii). Designing ΔV-efficient rendezvous with Enceladus is the first challenge, while the second involves finding a stable orbit which can achieve the desired science measurements. A paper by Russell and Lara [3] has recently addressed the second problem, and a paper this past August by Strange, Campagnola, and Russell [4] has adressed the first. This method developed to solve the second problem, the leveraging tour, and the science possibilities of this trajectory will be the subject of this presentation.
the new methods in [4], a leveraging tour with Titan, Rhea, Dione, and Tethys can reach Enceladus orbit with less than half of the ΔV of a direct Titan-Enceladus transfer. Starting from the TSSM Saturn arrival conditions [5], with a chemical bi-prop system, this new tour design technique could place into Enceladus orbit ~2800 kg compared to ~1100 kg from a direct Titan-Enceladus transfer. Moreover, the 2.5 year leveraging tour provides many low-speed and high science value flybys of Rhea, Dione, and Tethys.
This exciting new result adds new types of Enceladus missions to the feasible mission set beyond those identified by past studies.
References
[1] C.P. McKay, C.C. Porco, T. Altheide, W.L. Davis, and T.A. Kral, "The Possible Origin and Persistence of Life on Enceladus and Detection of Biomarkers in the Plume," Astrobiology, V. 8, No. 5, pp. 909-919.
[2] "Enceladus Flagship Mission concept Study,: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, August 29, 2007. See also: http://opfm.jpl.nasa.gov/library
[3] R.P. Russell and M.P. Lara, "On the Design of an Enceladus Science Orbit," Acta Astronautica, V. 65, No. 1-2, pp. 27-39.
[4] N.J. Strange, S. Campagnola, R.P. Russell, "Leveraging Flybys of Low Mass Moons to Enable An Enceladus Orbiter," AAS Paper 09-435, AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, Aug. 2009.
[5] T.R. Spilker, R.C. Moeller, C.S. Borden, W.D. Smythe, R.E. Lock, J.O. Elliott, J.A. Wertz, N.J. Strange, "Analysis of Architectures for the Scientific Exploration of Enceladus," IEEEAC Paper 1644, 2009 IEEE Aerospace conference, Mar. 2009.
[6] "Titan Saturn System Mission Final Report on the NASA Contribution to a Joint Mission with ESA," Jet Propulsion Laboratory, January 30, 2009. See also: http://opfm.jpl.nasa.gov/library/
Campagnola Stefano
Russell Ray
Strange Nathan
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