Abstract This paper discusses the antimatter-initiated fission of depleted uranium to produce both thrust and electrical power, enabling a mission architecture wherein a 10 kg-scale unmanned spacecraft decelerates and inserts itself into orbit around an exoplanet. A mission to the nearby habitable-zone exoplanet Proxima b is explored as a concrete example. Similar to the Voyager 2 mission, wherein a grand tour of the outer planets justified the spacecraft investment that is still yielding scientific results decades later beyond the heliopause, a program of prompt science results regarding interstellar clouds, Oort cloud population distributions, interstellar magnetic fields, and radiation spectra in the interstellar void are envisioned. This paper will also briefly summarize other results in the areas of antimatter production and storage, spacecraft instrumentation, and other mission objectives.

    Highlights Antimatter-based propulsion for unmanned exploratory missions to exoplanets in such solar systems as Proxima Centauri and Epsilon Eridani. Deceleration of the spacecraft is accomplished by inducing fission of uranium-238 with antiproton annihilations. A low mass propulsion system is matched to a comparably low mass spacecraft architecture. Mission profiles emphasizing early science results are presented due to the long transit time to nearby solar systems. Antimatter production improvements and economics are enabling issues.


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    Titel :

    Deceleration of Exoplanet Missions Utilizing Scarce Antimatter


    Beteiligte:

    Erschienen in:

    Acta Astronautica ; 197 ; 380-386


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2022-03-14


    Format / Umfang :

    7 pages




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch




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