AbstractThe Mars micromission (MM) spacecraft (MMSC) is a multi-purpose platform capable of orbiting Mars for communications/navigation and science payloads or for precision Mars flybys to drop up to six probes. An MMSC is launched as a secondary payload on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, to GTO using the Ariane 5 structure for auxiliary payloads (ASAP5). The maximum launch wet mass is and can include up to of payload depending on ΔV needs. The on-board propulsion system is used for maneuvering in the Earth–Moon system and injecting the spacecraft into Mars transfer orbit and, if needed, Mars orbit. The first MMSC to be launched in early 2003 will be a Communications/Navigation (Comm/Nav) Orbiter. JPL is responsible for the Comm/Nav payload. Ball Aerospace, working with JPL, provides the multi-purpose spacecraft bus, system integration and test, and assists in operations over the 3 year mission duration. This paper summarizes the baseline spacecraft concept for the first Mars Com/Nav mission as defined at the start of the program in February 2000 and describes the spacecraft bus implementation in more detail.
Low cost access to Mars—Mars micromissions spacecraft
Acta Astronautica ; 52 , 2-6 ; 501-510
2002-01-01
10 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Low cost access to Mars-Mars micromissions spacecraft
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