AbstractFor more than 20 years, an “Interstellar Precursor Mission” has been discussed as a high priority for science. Various schemes considered require massive propulsion systems and are inherently expensive. We reconsider an old approach in which a small probe obtains significant solar-system escape speeds by “dropping” deep into the Sun's gravitational potential well and then executing a ΔV maneuver at perihelion. This implementation requires a very robust and autonomous, yet low-mass spacecraft, as well as an advanced perihelion propulsion system that can be used while the probe is thermally protected from the near-Sun environment. Many of the engineering problems are driven by the need for reliable decades-long cruise in deep space and so are largely independent of the propulsion system. Such a long-lived probe could be queried at random over decades of otherwise hands-off operations and return data obtainable in no other known way on the conditions that exist in the space between the stars.


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    Title :

    Low-cost interstellar probe


    Contributors:
    McNutt, R.L. Jr. (author) / Andrews, G.B. (author) / McAdams, J. (author) / Gold, R.E. (author) / Santo, A. (author) / Oursler, D. (author) / Heeres, K. (author) / Fraeman, M. (author) / Williams, B. (author)

    Published in:

    Acta Astronautica ; 52 , 2-6 ; 267-279


    Publication date :

    2002-01-01


    Size :

    13 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



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