[Paper Review] Exploring the Outer Solar System with Solar Sailing Smallsats on Fast-Transit Trajectories and In-Flight Autonomous Assembly of Advanced Science Payloads

Slava G. Turyshev, Henry Helvajian+5 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jul 10, 2020

Astro and Planetary Science2 references4 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel mission architecture using solar-sail-propelled smallsats (<20 kg) to achieve fast-transit trajectories (up to ~10 AU/year) to the outer solar system, enabling in-flight autonomous assembly of advanced science payloads. The approach enables low-cost, frequent, reconfigurable planetary science missions with enhanced instrument proliferation and mission resilience through modular, redundant systems.

ABSTRACT

We discuss the in-flight autonomous assembly as the means to build advanced planetary science payloads to explore the outer regions of the solar system. These payloads are robotically constructed from modular parts delivered by a group of smallsats (&lt; 20 kg) which are placed on fast solar system transfer trajectories while being accelerated by solar sail propulsion to velocities of ~10 AU/yr. This concept provides the planetary science community with inexpensive, frequent access to distant regions of the solar system with flexible, reconfigurable instruments and systems that are assembled in flight. It permits faster revisit times, rapid replenishment and technology insertions, longer mission capability with lower costs. It also increases the science capabilities of smallsats via the use of modular, redundant architectures and allows for proliferation of sensing instrumentation throughout the solar system.

Motivation & Objective

• To enable frequent, low-cost access to the outer solar system for planetary science missions.
• To overcome limitations of traditional smallsats by enabling advanced, reconfigurable science payloads through in-flight assembly.
• To leverage solar sailing for high-velocity trajectories (~10 AU/year) to reduce transit times to outer planets.
• To enhance mission longevity and technology refresh cycles through modular, redundant architectures.
• To increase sensing capability across the solar system via distributed, proliferated instrumentation.

Proposed method

• Utilize smallsats (<20 kg) equipped with solar sails to achieve fast-transit trajectories to the outer solar system.
• Deploy modular payload components from multiple smallsats that autonomously assemble in flight using robotic systems.
• Employ autonomous rendezvous and docking techniques for in-space assembly of science instruments.
• Design modular, redundant instrument architectures to improve system resilience and mission lifetime.
• Use solar sail propulsion to accelerate spacecraft to velocities of approximately 10 AU/year, enabling rapid transit.
• Integrate advanced instrumentation into assembled structures to support high-fidelity planetary science measurements.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can solar-sail-propelled smallsats achieve transit velocities of ~10 AU/year to the outer solar system?
• RQ2 Is in-flight autonomous assembly of science payloads feasible with modular smallsats?
• RQ3 Can modular, redundant architectures improve mission resilience and extend operational lifetime?
• RQ4 How does in-flight assembly enable rapid technology insertion and mission reconfiguration?
• RQ5 What is the potential for proliferating sensing capabilities across the solar system using this architecture?

Key findings

• The concept enables fast-transit missions to the outer solar system with velocities up to approximately 10 AU/year using solar sail propulsion.
• In-flight autonomous assembly allows for the construction of advanced, reconfigurable science payloads from modular components delivered by smallsats.
• Modular, redundant architectures significantly enhance mission resilience and extend operational capability beyond traditional smallsat limitations.
• The approach supports rapid technology insertion and mission refresh cycles, enabling frequent, low-cost planetary science missions.
• Distributed, proliferated sensing through multiple assembled platforms increases overall science return and coverage across the solar system.
• The mission architecture is feasible as a low-cost, scalable solution for future outer solar system exploration, as proposed in the 2023-2032 decadal survey.