Low cost planetary exploration: Surrey lunar minisatellite and interplanetary platform missions

In order to meet the growing global requirement for affordable missions bey ond Law Earth Orbit, two types of platform are under design at the Surrey S pace Centre. The first platform is a derivative of Surrey's UoSAT-12 minisa tellite, launched in April 1999 and operating successfully in-orbit. The mi nisatellite has been modified to accommodate a propulsion system capable of delivering up to 1700 m/s delta-V, enabling it to support a wide range of very low cost missions to LaGrange points, Near-Earth Objects, and the Moon . A mission to the Moon - dubbed "MoonShine" - is proposed as the first dem onstration of the modified minisatellite beyond LEG. The second platform Su rrey's Interplanetary Platform - has been designed to support missions with delta-V requirements up to 3200 m/s, making it ideal for low cost missions to Mars and Venus, as well as Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and other interpla netary trajectories. Analysis has proved mission feasibility, identifying k ey challenges in both missions for developing cost-effective techniques for : spacecraft propulsion; navigation; autonomous operations; and a reliable safe mode strategy. To reduce mission risk, inherently failure resistant lu nar and interplanetary trajectories are under study. In order to significan tly reduce cost and increase reliability, both platforms can communicate wi th low-cost ground stations and exploit Surrey's experience in autonomous o perations. The lunar minisatellite can provide up to 70 kg payload margin i n lunar orbit for a total mission cost US$16-25 M. The interplanetary platf orm can deliver 20 kg of scientific payload to Mars or Venus orbit for a mi ssion cost US$25-50 M. Together, the platforms will enable regular flight o f payloads to the Moon and interplanetary space at unprecedented low cost. This paper outlines key systems engineering issues for the proposed Lunar M inisatellite and Interplanetary Platform Missions, and describes the accomm odation and performance offered to planetary payloads. (C) 2001 Internation al Astronautical Federation. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.