The penetration of coronal regions by a solar probe employing planetary gravity-assist trajectories to attain perihelia of only a few solar radii will allow unique in situ experiments to be conducted. The trajectory design options will fundamentally impact solar probe spacecraft design criteria. The aerogravity-assist method, which requires the bending of a trajectory in the vicinity of a planet by passing through a portion of its atmosphere will yield large changes in direction and velocity. This option would in the case of a solar probe mission involve the use of either the earth or Venus as a target for a specially aerodynamically configured 'waverider' spacecraft with L/D of the order of 10.
Solar probe mission status
AAS/NASA Intl. Symposium on Orbital Mechanics and Mission Design ; 1989 ; Greenbelt, MD, United States
1989-01-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
NTRS | 2000
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