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Ballistic Mercury orbiter mission via Venus and Mercury gravity assistsIt is shown that it is possible to deliver a payload of 600 to 2000 kg to a 300-km circular orbit at Mercury using presently available NASA Space Transportation Systems and a single-stage bipropellant chemical rocket. This superior payload performance is attained by swingbys of Venus, plus (more importantly), the use of the reverse Delta-V/EGA process. In contrast to the Delta-V/EGA process (used to boost the launch energy by returning to earth for a gravity assist), the reverse Delta-V/EGA process reduces the Mercury approach energy each time a spacecraft makes a near-resonant return to Mercury for a gravity assist and reduces the orbit-capture Delta-V requirement. The mission sequences for such high-performance missions are described, and example mission opportunities for the years 1990 to 2010 are presented.
Document ID
19860058532
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Yen, C.-W. L.
(California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1986
Subject Category
Astrodynamics
Report/Patent Number
AAS PAPER 85-346
Accession Number
86A43270
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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