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4 Applications of Nuclear Power and Propulsion in Solar and Space Physics: Missions
Pages 42-55

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From page 42... ... A mission to explore the distant outer solar system and the interstellar medium has been studied by the science community (Table 4.1) and discussed in National Research Council (NRC) Read the entire page →
From page 43... ... Although an interstellar probe was rated as a high scientific priority by the SSP decadal survey, it was deferred TABLE 4.1 Selected Studies of a Mission to the Interstellar Medium Mission Propulsion System Reference Interstellar Precursor Nuclear-electric system to 400+ AU a Thousand Astronomical Units Nuclear-electric system to 1,000 AU b Interstellar Probe Chemical system sending a 1,000-kg spacecraft to 200 AU using powered solar flyby c (NASA's 1990 Space Physics Roadmap) Interstellar Probe Chemical system sending a small spacecraft to 200 AU d (NASA's 1994 Space Physics Roadmap) Read the entire page →
From page 44... ... 44 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION from the final list of high-priority missions because its propulsion technology -- a solar sail in the IPSTDT concept -- was deemed not likely to become available in the coming decade.8 Of all the missions studied in the SSP decadal survey, an interstellar probe has the highest priority for implementation via the use of a nuclear-electric propulsion system. This mission embodies exploration and is designed to redefine the frontier of modern space science by conducting a comprehensive set of in situ and remote-sensing observations as it travels from near-Earth space to the heliosphere and beyond into the local interstellar medium (see Figure 4.1) Read the entire page →
From page 45... ... APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: MISSIONS 45 returned from a solar-sail mission. Similarly, spectrometers for ions, neutrals, and dust will have enhanced mass resolution. Read the entire page →
From page 46... ... 46 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION BOX 4.1 Interstellar Observatory Mission Type: NEP-class Objectives: � Explore the nature of the interstellar medium and its implications for the origin and evolution of matter in our galaxy and universe; � Explore the outer solar system in search of clues to its origin and to the nature of other planetary systems; � Explore the influence of the interstellar medium on the solar system, including its dynamics and evolution; and � Explore the interaction between the interstellar medium and the solar system as an example of how a star interacts with its local galactic environment. Implementation: � Two RPS-powered subsatellites carrying identical payloads are released from an NEP-class ferry. Read the entire page →
From page 47... ... APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: MISSIONS 47 Payload: 1. In situ package � Magnetometer; � Plasma and radio wave detectors; � Solar-wind plasma ion and electron detectors; � Pickup and interstellar ion mass spectrometer; � Interstellar neutral atom mass spectrometer; � Suprathermal ion mass spectrometer; � Anomalous and galactic cosmic ray element/isotope spectrometer; � Cosmic-ray electron and positron detectors; � Gamma-ray-burst detectors; � Dust composition detectors; and � Other possibilities, including instruments for studying suprathermal ion charge states, molecular analyzers for organic material, and detectors for cosmic-ray antiprotons. Read the entire page →
From page 48... ... � Jupiter Magnetosphere Multiprobe Mission. The relative importance of internal and external forcing-e.g., forcing driven by planetary rotation and by the solar wind, respectively -- on astrophysical plasma and nebular systems is an important issue in space physics. Read the entire page →
From page 49... ... APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: MISSIONS 49 BOX 4.2 Solar Coronal Cluster Mission Type: NEP-class Objective: Understand the connections between the Sun and the heliosphere and the origins of space weather by addressing the following issues: � The source and evolution of solar flares; � The initiation, propagation, and evolution of coronal mass ejections; � The acceleration of solar energetic particles and, in particular, the roles played by inductive accelera tion at the flare site and by shock waves driven by fast coronal mass ejections in the region ~2�40 RSun; � The origin and evolution of the low-heliolatitude solar wind and of solar-wind transients; and � The heating of the corona. Implementation: � Four spacecraft in near-Sun orbits are released from an NEP-class ferry. Read the entire page →
From page 50... ... 50 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION BOX 4.3 Solar System Disk Explorer Mission Type: NEP-class Objectives: Study the collisional evolution of the solar system by conducting complementary observations of dust and Kuiper Belt objects in order to address the following issues: � The state and evolution of the Kuiper Belt and outer solar disk; � The composition of outer heliospheric and interstellar grains and the implications for the current state of the local interstellar medium and origin of the solar system; � The properties of the outer heliosphere; the interactions between the solar wind, KBOs, and outer heliospheric grains and implications for the formation and evolution of solar and stellar disks; � The nature of the organic material in the outer heliosphere; and � The global distribution of mass in the Kuiper Belt as probed through precision tracking. Implementation: � An NEP-class ferry deploys four spacecraft, two targeted to undertake flybys of KBOs and two to probe different parts of the solar disk beyond 50 AU. Read the entire page →
From page 51... ... � Can the KBO spacecraft be targeted so that each can study multiple targets? could, in such cases, also carry a package of particles and fields instrumentation designed for space physics studies in the outer heliosphere (see Box 6.4 for an example of such a mission) Read the entire page →
From page 52... ... 52 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION BOX 4.4 Jupiter Magnetosphere Multiprobe Mission Mission Type: NEP-class Objectives: Understand the dynamics of the jovian magnetosphere by addressing the following issues:1 � The relative importance of internal and external forcing on astrophysical plasma and nebular systems by comparing the magnetospheric response of Jupiter to solar-wind dynamics; � How internal and external forcing establishes the three-dimensional structure of the jovian magneto sphere and its dynamics; � The connection between Jupiter's aurora and distant regions of the magnetosphere; and � The flow of mass and energy throughout the jovian magnetosphere, particularly the fate of iogenic plasma and gas at Jupiter. Implementation: � An NEP-class ferry carries multiple (three or more) Read the entire page →
From page 53... ... APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: MISSIONS 53 High-Bandwidth Communications Limited telemetry resources have traditionally restricted the volume of data reported from space physics measurements, resulting in the loss of high-resolution spectral, temporal, and spatial information. Many future studies (e.g., rapid solar imaging and studies of the microphysics of plasma structures) Read the entire page →
From page 54... ... Such a program could support the development of spacecraft-based instrument technologies with capabilities well beyond those of existing flight instruments. The primary goal of this program would be to develop a new generation of scientific instruments for solar and space physics exploration that could take advantage of the capabilities enabled by nuclear-electric power and propulsion. Read the entire page →
From page 55... ... REFERENCES 1. National Research Council, The Sun to the Earth -- and Beyond: A Decadal Research Strategy in Solar and Space Physics, The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 2003. Read the entire page →

From page 42...

... A mission to explore the distant outer solar system and the interstellar medium has been studied by the science community (Table 4.1) and discussed in National Research Council (NRC)

Read the entire page →

From page 43...

... Although an interstellar probe was rated as a high scientific priority by the SSP decadal survey, it was deferred TABLE 4.1 Selected Studies of a Mission to the Interstellar Medium Mission Propulsion System Reference Interstellar Precursor Nuclear-electric system to 400+ AU a Thousand Astronomical Units Nuclear-electric system to 1,000 AU b Interstellar Probe Chemical system sending a 1,000-kg spacecraft to 200 AU using powered solar flyby c (NASA's 1990 Space Physics Roadmap) Interstellar Probe Chemical system sending a small spacecraft to 200 AU d (NASA's 1994 Space Physics Roadmap)

Read the entire page →

From page 44...

... 44 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION from the final list of high-priority missions because its propulsion technology -- a solar sail in the IPSTDT concept -- was deemed not likely to become available in the coming decade.8 Of all the missions studied in the SSP decadal survey, an interstellar probe has the highest priority for implementation via the use of a nuclear-electric propulsion system. This mission embodies exploration and is designed to redefine the frontier of modern space science by conducting a comprehensive set of in situ and remote-sensing observations as it travels from near-Earth space to the heliosphere and beyond into the local interstellar medium (see Figure 4.1)

Read the entire page →

From page 45...

... APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: MISSIONS 45 returned from a solar-sail mission. Similarly, spectrometers for ions, neutrals, and dust will have enhanced mass resolution.

Read the entire page →

From page 46...

... 46 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION BOX 4.1 Interstellar Observatory Mission Type: NEP-class Objectives: � Explore the nature of the interstellar medium and its implications for the origin and evolution of matter in our galaxy and universe; � Explore the outer solar system in search of clues to its origin and to the nature of other planetary systems; � Explore the influence of the interstellar medium on the solar system, including its dynamics and evolution; and � Explore the interaction between the interstellar medium and the solar system as an example of how a star interacts with its local galactic environment. Implementation: � Two RPS-powered subsatellites carrying identical payloads are released from an NEP-class ferry.

Read the entire page →

From page 47...

... APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: MISSIONS 47 Payload: 1. In situ package � Magnetometer; � Plasma and radio wave detectors; � Solar-wind plasma ion and electron detectors; � Pickup and interstellar ion mass spectrometer; � Interstellar neutral atom mass spectrometer; � Suprathermal ion mass spectrometer; � Anomalous and galactic cosmic ray element/isotope spectrometer; � Cosmic-ray electron and positron detectors; � Gamma-ray-burst detectors; � Dust composition detectors; and � Other possibilities, including instruments for studying suprathermal ion charge states, molecular analyzers for organic material, and detectors for cosmic-ray antiprotons.

Read the entire page →

From page 48...

... � Jupiter Magnetosphere Multiprobe Mission. The relative importance of internal and external forcing-e.g., forcing driven by planetary rotation and by the solar wind, respectively -- on astrophysical plasma and nebular systems is an important issue in space physics.

Read the entire page →

From page 49...

... APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: MISSIONS 49 BOX 4.2 Solar Coronal Cluster Mission Type: NEP-class Objective: Understand the connections between the Sun and the heliosphere and the origins of space weather by addressing the following issues: � The source and evolution of solar flares; � The initiation, propagation, and evolution of coronal mass ejections; � The acceleration of solar energetic particles and, in particular, the roles played by inductive accelera tion at the flare site and by shock waves driven by fast coronal mass ejections in the region ~2�40 RSun; � The origin and evolution of the low-heliolatitude solar wind and of solar-wind transients; and � The heating of the corona. Implementation: � Four spacecraft in near-Sun orbits are released from an NEP-class ferry.

Read the entire page →

From page 50...

... 50 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION BOX 4.3 Solar System Disk Explorer Mission Type: NEP-class Objectives: Study the collisional evolution of the solar system by conducting complementary observations of dust and Kuiper Belt objects in order to address the following issues: � The state and evolution of the Kuiper Belt and outer solar disk; � The composition of outer heliospheric and interstellar grains and the implications for the current state of the local interstellar medium and origin of the solar system; � The properties of the outer heliosphere; the interactions between the solar wind, KBOs, and outer heliospheric grains and implications for the formation and evolution of solar and stellar disks; � The nature of the organic material in the outer heliosphere; and � The global distribution of mass in the Kuiper Belt as probed through precision tracking. Implementation: � An NEP-class ferry deploys four spacecraft, two targeted to undertake flybys of KBOs and two to probe different parts of the solar disk beyond 50 AU.

Read the entire page →

From page 51...

... � Can the KBO spacecraft be targeted so that each can study multiple targets? could, in such cases, also carry a package of particles and fields instrumentation designed for space physics studies in the outer heliosphere (see Box 6.4 for an example of such a mission)

Read the entire page →

From page 52...

... 52 PRIORITIES IN SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION BOX 4.4 Jupiter Magnetosphere Multiprobe Mission Mission Type: NEP-class Objectives: Understand the dynamics of the jovian magnetosphere by addressing the following issues:1 � The relative importance of internal and external forcing on astrophysical plasma and nebular systems by comparing the magnetospheric response of Jupiter to solar-wind dynamics; � How internal and external forcing establishes the three-dimensional structure of the jovian magneto sphere and its dynamics; � The connection between Jupiter's aurora and distant regions of the magnetosphere; and � The flow of mass and energy throughout the jovian magnetosphere, particularly the fate of iogenic plasma and gas at Jupiter. Implementation: � An NEP-class ferry carries multiple (three or more)

Read the entire page →

From page 53...

... APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION IN SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: MISSIONS 53 High-Bandwidth Communications Limited telemetry resources have traditionally restricted the volume of data reported from space physics measurements, resulting in the loss of high-resolution spectral, temporal, and spatial information. Many future studies (e.g., rapid solar imaging and studies of the microphysics of plasma structures)

Read the entire page →

From page 54...

... Such a program could support the development of spacecraft-based instrument technologies with capabilities well beyond those of existing flight instruments. The primary goal of this program would be to develop a new generation of scientific instruments for solar and space physics exploration that could take advantage of the capabilities enabled by nuclear-electric power and propulsion.

Read the entire page →

From page 55...

... REFERENCES 1. National Research Council, The Sun to the Earth -- and Beyond: A Decadal Research Strategy in Solar and Space Physics, The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 2003.

Read the entire page →

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4 Applications of Nuclear Power and Propulsion in Solar and Space Physics: Missions Pages 42-55

4 Applications of Nuclear Power and Propulsion in Solar and Space Physics: Missions
Pages 42-55