Session
Technical Session III: Science & Exploration
Abstract
Historically, planetary exploration has been performed using large, complex, and costly spacecraft that have attempted to bring a laboratory of instruments with them. Only in the early days of the American and Russian space programs were the missions less complex and more focused. The Canadian Robotic Asteroid Flyby and Tentatively Impact (CRAFTI) mission proposes to return to some of the philosophies of that era, and to bring modern microsatellite design philosophies into planetary exploration. The CRAFTI mission is a concept study being undertaken by the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory (UTIAS-SFL) and the Canadian Space Society, with funding from the Canadian Space Agency and technical support from Dynacon Enterprises Limited. The study is aimed at proving that microsatellite technology can, and should, be applied to planetary exploration. The principal investigator is Dr. Kimmo Innanen of York University, and the lead engineer is Henry Spencer of UTIAS-SFL. The target of this project is a Near Earth Asteroid suitable for a relatively slow flyby, tentatively chosen to be Toutatis during its 2008 closest approach with the Earth. Asteroids present the best target for such a mission, as they offer the greatest possible science return for relatively simple instruments and relatively low mission cost. In addition, a flyby during closest approach turns out to be a surprisingly easy mission. The CRAFTI mission presents an opportunity to prove that microsatellite technology has come of age, not only in Earth orbiting spacecraft, but also in the realm of planetary exploration. The key to success is a careful tradeoff between available spacecraft resources and mission design, and having on board only what is absolutely necessary for the mission to succeed. This paper will highlight the tradeoffs, and examine the proposed spacecraft design and overall mission plan.
CRAFTI: A Canadian Asteroid Mission
Historically, planetary exploration has been performed using large, complex, and costly spacecraft that have attempted to bring a laboratory of instruments with them. Only in the early days of the American and Russian space programs were the missions less complex and more focused. The Canadian Robotic Asteroid Flyby and Tentatively Impact (CRAFTI) mission proposes to return to some of the philosophies of that era, and to bring modern microsatellite design philosophies into planetary exploration. The CRAFTI mission is a concept study being undertaken by the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory (UTIAS-SFL) and the Canadian Space Society, with funding from the Canadian Space Agency and technical support from Dynacon Enterprises Limited. The study is aimed at proving that microsatellite technology can, and should, be applied to planetary exploration. The principal investigator is Dr. Kimmo Innanen of York University, and the lead engineer is Henry Spencer of UTIAS-SFL. The target of this project is a Near Earth Asteroid suitable for a relatively slow flyby, tentatively chosen to be Toutatis during its 2008 closest approach with the Earth. Asteroids present the best target for such a mission, as they offer the greatest possible science return for relatively simple instruments and relatively low mission cost. In addition, a flyby during closest approach turns out to be a surprisingly easy mission. The CRAFTI mission presents an opportunity to prove that microsatellite technology has come of age, not only in Earth orbiting spacecraft, but also in the realm of planetary exploration. The key to success is a careful tradeoff between available spacecraft resources and mission design, and having on board only what is absolutely necessary for the mission to succeed. This paper will highlight the tradeoffs, and examine the proposed spacecraft design and overall mission plan.
