Method for Lightening the Weight of Fuel Stowed Onboard During an Interplanetary Mission

摘要

The method for lightening the weight of fuel stowed onboard during an interplanetary mission is characterized in that it consists:in launching (10a) a first orbiter spacecraft (1) from the Earth on a first interplanetary trajectory (31, 33) towards a target planet to be explored,in launching (10b) a second orbiter spacecraft (2) from the Earth on a second interplanetary trajectory (32, 34) towards a rendezvous spot (38), the second interplanetary trajectory not comprising any phase of placing in orbit around the target planet,in recovering a load to be transported and in loading it onto the first orbiter spacecraft (1),in returning the first orbiter spacecraft (1) and the load from the target planet to the rendezvous spot (38),in effecting a docking (14) of the two orbiter spacecraft (1, 2),in returning at least the second orbiter spacecraft (2) and the load, from the rendezvous spot (38) to a terrestrial orbit (41).