论文信息 - An Interstellar Probe Mission to the Boundaries of the Heliosphere and Nearby Interstellar Space

An Interstellar Probe Mission to the Boundaries of the Heliosphere and Nearby Interstellar Space

NASA's Interstellar Probe Mission, which will travel to 200-400 AU using solar sail propulsion, will be the first spacecraft specifically designed to explore the outer solar system and sample the nearby interstellar medium. During the spring of 1999, NASA's Interstellar Probe Science and Technology Definition Team* developed a concept for a mission to be propelled by a solar sail that would travel to >200 AU in 15 years. A 400-m diameter solar sail accelerates the spacecraft to -15 AU/year, approximately 5 times the speed of the Voyager spacecraft. After jettisoning the sail, the spacecraft coasts to 200-400 AU, exploring the Kuiper Belt, the boundaries of the heliosphere, and the nearby interstellar medium. We discuss the scientific goals, mission concept, strawman payload, and technology requirements for this very challenging mission.

R. A. Mewaldt | P. C. Liewer | P. Liewer | R. Mewaldt

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