Title: The small reconnaissance of atmospheres mission platform concept, part 2: design of carrier spacecraft and atmospheric entry probes

Authors: John E. Moores; Kieran A. Carroll; Isaac DeSouza; Kartheephan Sathiyanathan; Barry Stoute; Jinjun Shan; Regina S. Lee; Ben Quine

Addresses: Centre for Research in the Earth and Space Sciences (CRESS), York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada ' University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, University of Toronto, Canada ' CRESS, York University, Canada ' CRESS, York University, Canada ' CRESS, York University, Canada ' CRESS, York University, Canada ' CRESS, York University, Canada ' CRESS, York University, Canada

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.

Keywords: mission concept; spacecraft design; planetary science; atmospheric science; Jupiter; microprobe swarms; atmospheric entry probes; small entry vehicles; scientific microprobes; Jovian atmosphere; payload division.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPACESE.2014.066961

International Journal of Space Science and Engineering, 2014 Vol.2 No.4, pp.345 - 364

Received: 03 May 2014
Accepted: 15 Jul 2014
Published online: 24 Jan 2015 *

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