Benefits of Ares V Capability for Complex Missions

摘要

The recently completed Titan Explorer (TE) Flagship Mission and Comet Surface Sample Return (CSSR) studies led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) outlined highly complex scientific missions for NASA. Both studies baselined the Atlas V due to study ground rules and programmatic constraints, allowing modest payloads to be brought to the ultimate destinations. These missions could have benefited from the increased lift capability of the Ares V. The increased lift capacity allows mass margin to be used to lower technical and programmatic risk. It also facilitates a more robust design strategy and allows a greater potential science return. This paper outlines the potential trades provided by the increased capacity and highlights the possible mission benefits. Specific examples from the TE and CSSR studies are used to better quantify these benefits.