Power and Propulsion for the Cassini Mission

Details Power and Propulsion for the Cassini Mission Power and Propulsion for the Cassini Mission

Feb 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005aipc..746..232j&link_type=abstract

SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS INT.FORUM-STAIF 2005: Conf.Thermophys in Micrograv;Conf Comm/Civil Next Gen.Space Transp; 22nd

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Spaceborne And Space Research Instruments, Apparatus, And Components

Scientific paper

Lockheed Martin contributions to the Cassini mission included power and propulsion for the spacecraft, the Descent Imager / Spectral Radiometer, DISR instrument for the Huygens Probe, as well as the Titan IVB launch vehicle. Cassini is currently in orbit around Saturn performing its primary science mission, investigating Saturn, its many moons, and its complex and beautiful ring system. The Space Power Programs organization in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, an offsite of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, provided the three General Purpose Heat Source - Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (GPHS-RTGs) used to provide electric power to the spacecraft during its mission to Saturn and its moons. The RTGs were the same design as those used to power the Galileo spacecraft on its mission to Jupiter and its moons, and the ESA Ulysses spacecraft on its mission to explore the Sun. Three RTGS provided 880 Watts of electrical power to the spacecraft at the beginning of mission, shortly after launch, 50% more than the power available for the Galileo mission. Other papers will describe the extensive science instrumentation made possible by the abundance of continuous, reliable, and long-lived power, unprecedented for a deep space planetary mission. The Cassini Propulsion Module Subsystem is the largest interplanetary propulsion system ever to successfully enter orbit around another planet. The propulsion system was designed to be fully redundant for this critical, 11-year scientific mission to Saturn. The system was designed, assembled and tested at Lockheed Martin's Space Exploration Systems Company in Littleton, Colorado, before being delivered to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL in Pasadena California for integration and testing with the spacecraft. The bi-propellant system design holds 3,000 kg of Monomethyl Hydrazine, MMH and Nitrogen Tetroxide, NTO and uses 132 kg of High Purity Grade Hydrazine for 3-axis attitude control and Reaction Wheel Assembly, RWA desaturation.

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