VENUS ORBITER AND ENTRY PROBE: AN ESA TECHNOLOGY REFERENCE MISSION

摘要

Traditionally interplanetary spacecraft are expensive, and have development schedules lasting up to 10 years. Being so high cost few concepts reach the manufacture phase. As a result of the infrequency of these missions, more experiments and supporting systems become incorporated, further driving up the cost, and delaying the schedule. Programmes rapidly become unaffordable.rnThe Venus Entry Probe is one of ESA's technology reference studies. It aims to identify the technologies required to develop a low cost science-driven mission for in-situ exploration of the atmosphere of Venus, and the philosophy which can be adopted. The mission includes a science gathering spacecraft in circular polar Venus orbit, a relay satellite in elliptical Venus orbit, and an atmospheric entry probe delivering a long duration aerobot, which will drop several microprobes during its operational phase.rnThis paper will focus on the design of the mission, spacecraft and aerobot, with particular emphasis on system level trade-offs. Recognising that resource reduction (mass, power, volume etc.) will be a key requirement to achieving low recurring cost spacecraft, the project has identified a variety of innovative mission-enabling technologies.