A lightweight spacecraft design concept has been developed which employs solar-electric ion propulsion to conduct a lunar science mission. The design relies on off-the-shelf technology to achieve high reliability and near-term launch readiness status. Overall project costs are kept to a minimum through the concentration of mission objectives, as well as through the minimization of payload launch costs by resort to the Space Shuttle's Get-Away Special canister. Attention is given to the spacecraft's instrumentation configuration.
A small solar electric ion propulsion spacecraft for lunar science
1988-07-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
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