The small reconnaissance of atmospheres mission platform concept, part 2: design of carrier spacecraft and atmospheric entry probes
by John E. Moores; Kieran A. Carroll; Isaac DeSouza; Kartheephan Sathiyanathan; Barry Stoute; Jinjun Shan; Regina S. Lee; Ben Quine
International Journal of Space Science and Engineering (IJSPACESE), Vol. 2, No. 4, 2014

Abstract: Constraints and potential hardware are described outlining both elements of the SMARA scientific microprobe mission to Jupiter. Individual atmospheric probes are possible at masses of 12.5 kg. Such probes would be 0.6 m across and would be capable of carrying at least 1.6 kg of scientific payload. This would enable a broad range of instrumentation to be deployed at Jupiter, though mass spectroscopy would require a slightly more massive probe or some additional miniaturisation. The carrier spacecraft are each responsible for delivering six of the individual atmospheric probes to Jupiter. This requires carrier spacecraft with a mass of at least 60 kg. The entire spacecraft is sufficiently small and modular that upwards of 60 atmospheric entry vehicles could be deployed by a single medium launch to examine 10 distinct locations at Jupiter. Nearly identical probes would be suitable for Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Venus by modification of the carrier.

Online publication date: Sat, 24-Jan-2015

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