A comparison of SEP and NEP for a main belt asteroid sample return mission
- Innovative interplanetary deep space missions, like a main belt asteroid sample return mission, require ever larger velocity increments (∆V s) and thus ever more demanding propulsion capabilities. Providing much larger exhaust velocities than chemical high-thrust systems, electric low-thrust space-propulsion systems can significantly enhance or even enable such high-energy missions. In 1995, a European-Russian Joint Study Group (JSG) presented a study report on “Advanced Interplanetary Missions Using Nuclear-Electric Propulsion” (NEP). One of the investigated reference missions was a sample return (SR) from the main belt asteroid (19) Fortuna. The envisaged nuclear power plant, Topaz-25, however, could not be realized and also the worldwide developments in space reactor hardware stalled. In this paper, we investigate, whether such a mission is also feasible using a solar electric propulsion (SEP) system and compare our SEP results to corresponding NEP results.
Author: | Bernd DachwaldORCiD, Wolfgang Seboldt, Horst W. Loeb, Karl-Heinz Schartner |
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Parent Title (English): | 7th International Symposium on Launcher Technologies, Barcelona, Spain, 02-05 April 2007 |
Document Type: | Conference Proceeding |
Language: | English |
Year of Completion: | 2007 |
Date of the Publication (Server): | 2022/06/28 |
Length: | 10 |
First Page: | 1 |
Last Page: | 10 |
Link: | http://spacesailing.net/paper/200704_Barcelona_DachwaldSeboldtLoebSchartner.pdf |
Zugriffsart: | weltweit |
Institutes: | FH Aachen / Fachbereich Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik |
FH Aachen / IfB - Institut für Bioengineering |