INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ASTRONAUTICS Missions to the outer solar system and beyond SEVENTH IAA SYMPOSIUM ON REALISTIC NEAR-TERM ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC SPACE MISSIONS Aosta, Italy, July 11-14, 2011 Persephone: Concept Study for a Kuiper Belt Sample-Return Andreas M. Hein, Mikhail Pak, Christian Hennig, Daniel Schneiderbauer, Peter Plötner Institute of Astronautics, Technische Universitaet Muenchen a.hein@tum.de ABSTRACT The exploration of Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) might deliver crucial data for answering questions about the evolution of the solar system and the origin of life. Whereas the current New Horizons mission performs a flyby at KBOs, an in-depth exploration of the Kuiper belt requires an orbiter, lander or even a sample return. In this paper, we present a range of potential mission architectures for a Kuiper belt sample return mission. We use the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) for the necessary modeling and the systems engineering tool MagicDraw. A process similar to the NASA Rapid Mission Architecture approach was used. The study was conducted with 12 aerospace engineering students in weekly sessions of three hours over a period of four months. We start with a rationale a KBO sample return, define science objectives, high-level requirements and select a strawman payload. From a key trade-matrix, mission architecture options are generated. Finally, necessary technologies and prerequisites for the mission are identified. We conclude that one of the dwarf planets Pluto, Haumea, Orcus or Quaoar and their moons should be considered as a target for the mission. The samples should be collected from the dwarf planet of choice or from its moon(s), which omits the rather high velocity requirements for a landing and departure from the dwarf planet itself. Attractive mission architectures include radioisotopic electric propulsion-based missions, missions with a combination of a solar electric propulsion stage and radioisotopic electric propulsion, or missions using nuclear electric propulsion. Keywords: Kuiper belt objects, Trans-Neptunian objects, interstellar precursor, advanced concepts, Model-Based Systems Engineering, SysML INTRODUCTION The exploration of the outer edges of the solar system is one of the science goals of the National Research Council Decadal Survey [1]. The exploration of KBOs is of special interest due to their unaltered surface composition, enabling the study of the early history of the solar system [2]. Furthermore, organic molecules might give insights into how life emerged on Earth. Currently, the New Horizons spacecraft is already on its way to explore Pluto and the Kuiper belt by performing a fly-by in 2015 [3]. However, an in-depth exploration of the Kuiper belt requires an orbiter, lander or a sample return mission. Several high-level studies were conducted for KBO orbiter concepts [4-7]. Options for outer solar system return trajectories were also assessed in [8]. Based on the existing literature, we go one step further and identify potential mission architectures for a KBO sample return mission. The approach is to trace the science objectives down to the candidate mission architectures. For a seamless tracing, we developed a system model in the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) that includes the objectives, requirements and architectures and the tracing relationships [9]. For modeling we used the systems engineering tool MagicDraw [10]. For the generation of a range of mission architectures, we adopted the NASA Rapid Mission Architecture (RMA) approach [11]. The study was conducted with 12 aerospace engineering students in weekly sessions of three hours over a period of four months. Our analysis starts with a description of the general science case for a KBO sample return, the science objectives and science requirements. We continue with the identification of adequate target