Current Mission Design of the Solar Probe Mission

Abstract Solar Probe mission is now a part of the NASA Earth–Sun connection theme under the Living With a Star program. A concept study was completed recently, and the latest conceptual mission design for the Solar Probe mission is presented in this paper. Present trajectory design provides a mission scenario that offers repeated pole-to-pole near Sun flybys at perihelion of 4 solar radii with favorable quadrature geometry that permits continuous real-time data transmission during all solar passes. Solar Probe is to be delivered to the solar polar orbit through a direct Jupiter gravity assist trajectory that has launch opportunities every 13 months. The first solar flyby occurs 3.1 years after launch, and the subsequent solar flybys come every 4 years periodically, providing 3 unique opportunities to probe the Sun in one solar cycle.