Mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission
This paper provides a detailed mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission. The pole-sitter concept was previously introduced as a solution to the poor temporal resolution of polar observations from highly inclined, low Earth orbits and the poor high-latitude...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11311/968244 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 |
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ftpolimilanoiris:oai:re.public.polimi.it:11311/968244 2024-04-21T08:11:56+00:00 Mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission Heiligers, Jeannette Ceriotti, Matteo Mcinnes, Colin R. BIGGS, JAMES DOUGLAS Heiligers, Jeannette Ceriotti, Matteo Mcinnes, Colin R. Biggs, JAMES DOUGLAS 2014 STAMPA http://hdl.handle.net/11311/968244 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000326483800041 volume:94 issue:1 firstpage:455 lastpage:469 numberofpages:15 journal:ACTA ASTRONAUTICA http://hdl.handle.net/11311/968244 doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-84885948245 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Hybrid propulsion Polar observation Pole-sitter Solar electric propulsion Solar sailing Trajectory optimization Aerospace Engineering info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2014 ftpolimilanoiris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 2024-03-25T16:30:31Z This paper provides a detailed mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission. The pole-sitter concept was previously introduced as a solution to the poor temporal resolution of polar observations from highly inclined, low Earth orbits and the poor high-latitude coverage from geostationary orbit. It considers a spacecraft that is continuously above either the north or south pole and, as such, can provide real-time, continuous and hemispherical coverage of the polar regions. Being on a non-Keplerian orbit, a continuous thrust is required to maintain the pole-sitter position. For this, two different propulsion strategies are proposed, which result in a near-term pole-sitter mission using solar electric propulsion (SEP) and a far-term pole-sitter mission where the SEP thruster is hybridized with a solar sail. For both propulsion strategies, minimum propellant pole-sitter orbits are designed. In order to maximize the spacecraft mass at the start of the operations phase of the mission, the transfer from Earth to the pole-sitter orbit is designed and optimized assuming either a Soyuz or an Ariane 5 launch. The maximized mass upon injection into the pole-sitter orbit is subsequently used in a detailed mass budget analysis that will allow for a trade-off between mission lifetime and payload mass capacity. Also, candidate payloads for a range of applications are investigated. Finally, transfers between north and south pole-sitter orbits are considered to overcome the limitations in observations due to the tilt of the Earth's rotational axis that causes the poles to be alternately situated in darkness. It will be shown that in some cases these transfers allow for propellant savings, enabling a further extension of the pole-sitter mission. Article in Journal/Newspaper South pole RE.PUBLIC@POLIMI - Research Publications at Politecnico di Milano Acta Astronautica 94 1 455 469 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
RE.PUBLIC@POLIMI - Research Publications at Politecnico di Milano |
op_collection_id |
ftpolimilanoiris |
language |
English |
topic |
Hybrid propulsion Polar observation Pole-sitter Solar electric propulsion Solar sailing Trajectory optimization Aerospace Engineering |
spellingShingle |
Hybrid propulsion Polar observation Pole-sitter Solar electric propulsion Solar sailing Trajectory optimization Aerospace Engineering Heiligers, Jeannette Ceriotti, Matteo Mcinnes, Colin R. BIGGS, JAMES DOUGLAS Mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission |
topic_facet |
Hybrid propulsion Polar observation Pole-sitter Solar electric propulsion Solar sailing Trajectory optimization Aerospace Engineering |
description |
This paper provides a detailed mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission. The pole-sitter concept was previously introduced as a solution to the poor temporal resolution of polar observations from highly inclined, low Earth orbits and the poor high-latitude coverage from geostationary orbit. It considers a spacecraft that is continuously above either the north or south pole and, as such, can provide real-time, continuous and hemispherical coverage of the polar regions. Being on a non-Keplerian orbit, a continuous thrust is required to maintain the pole-sitter position. For this, two different propulsion strategies are proposed, which result in a near-term pole-sitter mission using solar electric propulsion (SEP) and a far-term pole-sitter mission where the SEP thruster is hybridized with a solar sail. For both propulsion strategies, minimum propellant pole-sitter orbits are designed. In order to maximize the spacecraft mass at the start of the operations phase of the mission, the transfer from Earth to the pole-sitter orbit is designed and optimized assuming either a Soyuz or an Ariane 5 launch. The maximized mass upon injection into the pole-sitter orbit is subsequently used in a detailed mass budget analysis that will allow for a trade-off between mission lifetime and payload mass capacity. Also, candidate payloads for a range of applications are investigated. Finally, transfers between north and south pole-sitter orbits are considered to overcome the limitations in observations due to the tilt of the Earth's rotational axis that causes the poles to be alternately situated in darkness. It will be shown that in some cases these transfers allow for propellant savings, enabling a further extension of the pole-sitter mission. |
author2 |
Heiligers, Jeannette Ceriotti, Matteo Mcinnes, Colin R. Biggs, JAMES DOUGLAS |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Heiligers, Jeannette Ceriotti, Matteo Mcinnes, Colin R. BIGGS, JAMES DOUGLAS |
author_facet |
Heiligers, Jeannette Ceriotti, Matteo Mcinnes, Colin R. BIGGS, JAMES DOUGLAS |
author_sort |
Heiligers, Jeannette |
title |
Mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission |
title_short |
Mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission |
title_full |
Mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission |
title_fullStr |
Mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission |
title_sort |
mission analysis and systems design of a near-term and far-term pole-sitter mission |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11311/968244 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000326483800041 volume:94 issue:1 firstpage:455 lastpage:469 numberofpages:15 journal:ACTA ASTRONAUTICA http://hdl.handle.net/11311/968244 doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-84885948245 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.12.015 |
container_title |
Acta Astronautica |
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94 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
455 |
op_container_end_page |
469 |
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