Europa and Enceladus Plume Sampling Using Rotating Tether System

Paper number

IAC-17,A3,5,8,x37450

Author

Dr. Graham Dorrington, RMIT University, Australia, Australia

Coauthor

Dr. Hideaki Ogawa, RMIT University (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), Australia

Coauthor

Prof. Pavel Trivailo, RMIT University (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), Australia

Year

2017

Abstract

The recent indication of possible water plumes from Europa [1], somewhat similar to the Enceladus plumes observed and measured by Cassini [2], is likely to give rise to a near-future multiple fly-through mission aimed at sampling possible microbes from the subsurface ocean [3]. One of the main challenges with such a sampling mission, however, is that the relative encounter velocity of a Jupiter orbiter with Europa would be at least 1.5 km/s. At such high relative velocities any collected microbes would be destroyed and hard to identify. To reduce the encounter velocity to permit non-destructive sampling, one interesting possibility is to adopt a rotating tethered system, whereby the sampling instrument is spun at high rate using an electric propulsion system. This can be achieved with a tether system about 10 km in length. The use of such long tethers for planetary exploration must now be regarded as a feasible proposition since similarly long tethers have already been successfully deployed in low Earth orbit tests [4], although the spin rates envisaged would be somewhat higher. This paper aims to describe the technologies required for such a rotating tether sampling system, how it might be developed, the risks associated and the advantages it would have over other approaches such as the use of a lander [5]. The paper will also include consideration of orbital trajectories, Europa encounter conditions with and without tether rotation and modelling of tether dynamics - including a first order estimate of the interaction with the plume.  

[1] Roth L. et al. (2014) "Transient Water Vapor at Europa's South Pole" Science, 343, 171-174. 

[2] Perry M.E. et al. (2015) "Cassini INMS Measurements of Enceladus Plume Density", Icarus, 257, 139–162.

[3] Lorenz, R. (2016) "Europa Ocean Sampling by Plume Flythrough: Astrobiological Expectations", Icarus 267, 217–219.

[4] Kruijff, M., Heide, E.J. van der, (2009) "Qualification and In-Flight Demonstration of a European Tether Deployment System on YES2", Acta Astronautica, 64, 882-905.

[5] Di Benedetto, M. (2016) "Augmenting NASA Europa Clipper by a small probe: Europa Tomography Probe (ETP) Mission Concept" IAC16-A7-2-6-x35191, 67th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Guadalajara, Mexico, 26-30 September 2016.

Abstract document

IAC-17,A3,5,8,x37450.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-17,A3,5,8,x37450.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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