Analysis of a solar sail mercury sample return mission

Hughes, Gareth W. and Macdonald, M. and McInnes, Colin and Atzei, A. and Falkner, P.; (2004) Analysis of a solar sail mercury sample return mission. In: Proceedings of the 55th International Astronautical Congress. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, p. 197.

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Abstract

Solar sailing can be used to reduce lander mass allocation by delivering the lander to a low, thermally safe orbit close to the terminator. In addition, the ascending node of the solar sail parking orbit plane can be artificially forced to avoid out-of-plane manoeuvres during ascent from the planetary surface. Propellant mass is not an issue for solar sails so a sample can be returned relatively easily, without resorting to lengthy, multiple gravity assists. A 275 m solar sail with an assembly loading of 5.9 g m-2 is used to deliver a lander, cruise stage and science payload to a forced Sun-synchronous orbit at Mercury in 2.85 years. The lander acquires samples, and conducts limited surface exploration. An ascent vehicle delivers a small cold gas rendezvous vehicle containing the samples for transfer to the solar sail. The solar sail then spirals back to Earth in 1 year. The total mission launch mass is 2353 kg, on an H2A202-4S class launch vehicle (C3=0), with a ROM mission cost of 850 M¼1RPLQDOODXQFKLVLQ$SULO 2014 with sample return to Earth 4.4 years later. Solar sailing reduces launch mass by 60% and trip time by 40%, relative to conventional mission concepts. Propellant mass is not an issue for solar sails so a sample can be returned relatively easily, without resorting to lengthy, multiple gravity assists. A 275 m solar sail with an assembly loading of 5.9 g m-2 is used to deliver a lander, cruise stage and science payload to a forced Sun-synchronous orbit at Mercury in 2.85 years. The lander acquires samples, and conducts limited surface exploration. An ascent vehicle delivers a small cold gas rendezvous vehicle containing the samples for transfer to the solar sail. The solar sail then spirals back to Earth in 1 year. Solar sailing reduces launch mass by 60% and trip time by 40%, relative to conventional mission concepts.

ORCID iDs

Hughes, Gareth W., Macdonald, M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4499-4281, McInnes, Colin, Atzei, A. and Falkner, P.;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)