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  • Ariane 6 and space tugs: an enabler for European exploration missions

    Paper number

    IAC-17,D2,8-A5.4,2,x38006

    Author

    Mr. Frederic Masson, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

    Coauthor

    Mr. PATUREAU ANTOINE, CNES, France

    Coauthor

    Dr. Richard Epenoy, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

    Coauthor

    Mr. Jérôme Vila, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

    Coauthor

    Mr. JEAN-MARC BAHU, CNES, France

    Coauthor

    Mr. Christophe Bonnal, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

    Coauthor

    Mr. Lionel Baize, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

    Coauthor

    Mr. Vincent Leudiere, CNES, France

    Coauthor

    Mr. Aurelien Pisseloup, Airbus Group, France

    Coauthor

    Mr. Eugenio FERREIRA, France

    Coauthor

    Mr. Christophe Barbero, EADS Astrium, France

    Coauthor

    Ms. Fanny Ducerf, France

    Year

    2017

    Abstract
    \begin{document}
    
    \begin{center}
    \textit{F. Masson, F. Spiero, C. Bonnal, C. Talbot, A. Patureau de Mirand, R. Epenoy, L. Baize}
    
    Centre National d’\'Etudes Spatiales, CNES, France.
    
    \vspace{0.3cm}
    
    \textit{A. Pisseloup, A. Ferreira}
    
    Airbus Defense and Space, France
    
    \vspace{0.3cm}
    
    \textit{F. Ducerf, N. Bozhkov}
    
    Airbus Safran Launchers, France
    
    \end{center}
    
    \vspace{0.5cm}
    
    Ariane 6, as a performant and affordable launcher, is an enabling capacity for future European exploration missions. It is especially interesting to associate Ariane 6 with a “space tug”, that’s to say an orbital spacecraft using high power electric propulsion, sometimes in addition with chemical propulsion. Such association would permit to transport higher payloads, enabling more ambitious exploration and scientific missions. This paper will focus on missions to the Moon and Mars, as they remain priority targets for CNES, ESA and the ISEC-G roadmap. We will show what performances can be achieved with Ariane 6, with or without space tugs. For instance, for a mission to Mars, A6 alone could bring 2 tons, and 4 tons if associated with a 100 kWe-class solar-electric tug. For a longer term, we consider A6 associated with a 1 MWe nuclear-electric propulsion, that could bring up to 10 tons in orbit of Saturn. Preliminary designs for space tugs using chemical propulsion, solar-electric propulsion or nuclear-electric propulsion will be proposed.
     
    \paragraph{Keywords:} Ariane 6, Space tug, Exploration, Electric propulsion.
    
    \end{document}
    Abstract document

    IAC-17,D2,8-A5.4,2,x38006.brief.pdf

    Manuscript document

    IAC-17,D2,8-A5.4,2,x38006.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

    To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.