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Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering
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ItemThe Wirtanen Analysis and Surface Probe: Concept for a New Frontiers Comet Surface Sample Return Mission(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-24) Winfield, A. ; Karpowicz, Bryan M. ; Smith, B. ; Miller, Charles ; Masiero, J. ; Block, K. ; Wye, L. ; Smith, Matthew ; Lanza, N. ; Byram, S. ; Singer, S. ; Balint, Tibor S.As participants in NASA's 2007 Planetary Science Summer School, we have designed a New Frontiers class mission to extract a 0.5 kg surface sample from a cometary nucleus and return it to Earth. Comets contain primordial material from the formation of the Solar System (Morbidelli & Brown, 2004) and analysis of such material can answer fundamental questions regarding the composition of the early proto-planetary disk and the origin of water and possibly of life on Earth. Laboratory analysis of a comet nucleus sample addresses goals set in NASA's 2006 Solar System Exploration Roadmap and the NRC Decadal Survey. Our mission architecture, chosen to optimize science and the potential for a successful sample return within a New Frontiers budget, consists of a combined orbiter/lander craft designed for a nominal nine year mission starting in 2015. Upon rendezvous with comet Wirtanen, the orbiter/lander maps the nucleus for sixty days with two medium-field cameras which provide stereographic images for characterization of comet morphology and identification of suitable landing sites. After the sixty-day survey, the craft descends to the comet nucleus, anchors itself to the surface, and surveys the immediate area to identify a sampling site. A sample is obtained with a scoop-equipped robotic arm and sealed inside a Stardust-type Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV). Following sampling, a minimum configuration Earth Return Vehicle (ERV) containing the EEV is spring-ejected away from the surface and placed into an Earth return trajectory. Four hours from Earth, the EEV separates and returns to Earth. In this poster, we outline the spacecraft architecture including instrumentation and spacecraft subsystems, overall trajectory, mission timeline, risk assessment, and cost considerations.
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ItemOverview of Flagship Class Venus Mission Architectures(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-24) Cutts, James A. ; Kwok, Johnny H. ; Balint, Tibor S.Introduction: To assess the feasibility and potential technology needs of a future planned Venus Flagship class mission, NASA is funding a mission study in this fiscal year (FY08). Such a mission was recommended in NASA's 2006 Solar System Exploration Roadmap [1] and in the NRC SSE Decadal Survey [2]. The final mission architecture is required to be in line with the primary science goals and objectives, as defined in the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) White Paper [3], and enabled by suitable extreme environments technologies [4]. In order to assist the Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) for this year's study, an initial assessment was performed at JPL during the summer of 2007 [5], evaluating 17 potential mission architectures. Science requirements focused the architectures to near surface in situ missions only. Consequently, the studied architectures were bound by a New Frontiers (medium) class short lived surface mission concept at one end, working towards a future large Flagship class Venus Surface Sample Return (VSSR) mission at the other end, and through a number of architectures at various levels of complexities and corresponding cost levels. In this paper we outline the findings of last summer's study, including the recommended 3 key mission architecture groups - i.e., landers, mobile platforms, and geophysical networks - and link them to the final mission architecture from this year's study. References: [1] NASA - SSE Roadmap Team, "Solar System Exploration - Solar System Exploration Roadmap for NASA's Science Mission Directorate", Report Number: JPL-D-35618, NASA Science Missions Directorate, Planetary Science Division, Washington, D.C., 2006. [2] NRC, New Frontiers in the Solar System, an integrated exploration strategy, Technical re-port, Space Studies Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2003. [3] VEXAG, "Venus Exploration Goals, Objectives, Investigations, and Priorities: 2007", Website: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/, Viewed: March 12, 2008. [4] Kolawa, E., et al., "Extreme Environments Technologies for Future Space Science Mis-sions," Report Number : JPL D-32832, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, September 19, 2007. [5] Balint, T.S., Cutts, J.A., "Venus Flagship Class Missions Architectures", Presented at the 4th meeting of the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG), Greenbelt, MD, November 4-5, 2007.
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ItemVenus Conditions for the IPPW-6 Short Course Exercise(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-21) Balint, Tibor S.Venus Conditions for the IPPW-6 Short Course Exercise
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ItemVenus Mobile Explorer: Balloon Concept(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-21) Holmes, Brandy ; Chester, Ed ; Thanavaro, Greg ; Shams, Qamar A. ; Brill, Richard John ; Balint, Tibor S.Venus Mobile Explorer: Balloon Concept
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ItemOverview of Past Venus Missions and Potential Architectures for Future Missions - Architectures - Issues - Failures(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-06-21) Balint, Tibor S.