Session
Technical Session VII: New Mission or Bus Concepts I
Abstract
A recent Mars Exploration Program Architecture Definition Study, conducted by NASA with strong international participation, recommends establishment of a low cost in-situ communications and navigation relay satellite network to provide enabling and enhancing support for the international exploration of Mars. This would be the first step toward establishing a "virtual presence throughout the solar system" as called for in NASA's Strategic Plan. The Mars satellite network concept, and its evolution from a prototype launched in 2003 to a full constellation, is described. Implementation of the Mars satellite network will utilize the common micromission bus being designed for piggyback launch by Ariane 5 as described in a companion paper, "The Mars Micromissions Program." The requirements imposed on the common micromission bus to meet the needs of the Mars MicroSat network are discussed: A functional description is provided for the MicroSat payload, a UHF transceiver system, which supports the in-situ communications and navigation needs of user missions. Key technologies that are expected to play an important role in the implementation of the MicroSat network are also discussed.
Mars Comm/Nav MicroSat Network
A recent Mars Exploration Program Architecture Definition Study, conducted by NASA with strong international participation, recommends establishment of a low cost in-situ communications and navigation relay satellite network to provide enabling and enhancing support for the international exploration of Mars. This would be the first step toward establishing a "virtual presence throughout the solar system" as called for in NASA's Strategic Plan. The Mars satellite network concept, and its evolution from a prototype launched in 2003 to a full constellation, is described. Implementation of the Mars satellite network will utilize the common micromission bus being designed for piggyback launch by Ariane 5 as described in a companion paper, "The Mars Micromissions Program." The requirements imposed on the common micromission bus to meet the needs of the Mars MicroSat network are discussed: A functional description is provided for the MicroSat payload, a UHF transceiver system, which supports the in-situ communications and navigation needs of user missions. Key technologies that are expected to play an important role in the implementation of the MicroSat network are also discussed.
