A 20 to 50 year interstellar precursor mission extending 400 to 1000 AU from the solar system is outlined as a means of bringing out and solving engineering problems inherent in a star mission, and of studying the heliopause, the interstellar medium, and cosmic rays outside the heliosphere. Solar or laser sailing combined with a 500 kWe nuclear-electric propulsion system using fission would achieve a heliocentric excess velocity of 100km/s for the 32,000 kg spacecraft having a Shuttle derivative as a launch vehicle, and containing a Pluto flyby or separate orbiter powered by radioiosotope thermoelectric generators. X-band transmission using 40 w of power, a 15 m diameter spacecraft antenna and a 100 m receiving antenna on earth and providing 100 b/s is proposed, but a rate of 2 to 4 kb/s via 500 to 1000 w of power using the K-band and a 300 m diameter receiving antenna located on an Orbiting Deep Space Relay Station is also considered.


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    Title :

    A prelude to interstellar flight


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    1980-01-01


    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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    Mr Burgess, Colin / Mr Dubbs, Chris | Springer Verlag | 2007


    Interstellar flight

    Shepherd, L.R. | Engineering Index Backfile | 1952


    Interstellar flight systems

    Forward, R.L. | Tema Archive | 1980


    Interstellar flight systems

    FORWARD, R. | AIAA | 1980


    New Prelude

    Suzuki,Y. / Tsuchiyama,T. / Honda Res.and Dev.,JP | Automotive engineering | 1983