Mission and System Design for the Marco Polo Mission

Paper number

IAC-09.A3.I.6

Author

Mr. Markus Katzkowski, OHB-System AG, Germany

Year

2009

Abstract

In the frame of its Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 programme ESA has selected a number of mission concepts to be assessed by industrial studies. One of the concepts is the asteroid sample return mission named Marco Polo, having the primary scientific goal of returning a sample from a primitive near Earth asteroid to Earth. Global and local characterisation of the target asteroid is a further scientific requirement of the mission, with focus on the context determination of the sampling site. Marco Polo has been proposed as an M-class joint mission by the European Space Agency within the Cosmic Vision programme and by the Japanese Space Exploration Agency.

This paper presents recent results of the Marco Polo study performed under ESA contract by an industrial team led by OHB-System AG. The results presented address the mission and system design of the ESA space element of the Marco Polo mission as well as detailed analysis of critical technologies required for this ambitious mission. 

A typical asteroid sample return mission requires a wide trade-off process which may cover the selection of the target asteroid, optimisation of interplanetary transfer scenarios and various technologies for propulsion, GNC for asteroid proximity operations, asteroid landing and sampling and high speed Earth re-entry. The exact mission strategy and profile are under discussion between ESA and JAXA, therefore, technical and science aspects which are still under consolidation will be defined in the final paper. 

First, the numerous system-level trade-offs performed during the initial study phase are discussed. Also, the outcome of the first trade-off iteration on critical mission technologies is presented. The second part of the paper is related to the detailed mission and system design for the selected baseline mission architecture and more particularly for the ESA elements, including analysis of technological challenges. The baseline spacecraft design resulting from an extensive trade-off process is given, clearly driven by critical mission technologies. Detailed analyses leading to the final selection for those technology areas are presented including preferred technical solutions. Finally, some programmatic aspects are briefly discussed, focussing on the design driving programmatic requirements of the Marco Polo mission.

Abstract document

IAC-09.A3.I.6.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-09.A3.I.6.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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