2009-5614 AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, 10-13 August 2009, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Cicago, Illinois Nonstop Mars Sample Return System Using Aerocapture Technologies Kazuhisa Fujita ∗ Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8522, Japan. Shogo Tachibana † , Seiji Sugita † , Hirdy Miyamoto † , and Takashi Mikouchi ‡ The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8654, Japan. Toshiyuki Suzuki § , Hiroki Takayanagi § , Takashi Ozawa § , and Jun-ichiro Kawaguchi ¶ Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8522, Japan. Hanwool Woo ‖ The Graduate School of The University of Tokyo, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan. In this study, preliminary assessment of a Martian nonstop sample return system is made as a part of Mars Exploration with Landers and Orbiters (MELOS) mission, which is cur- rently under investigation in Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. In a mission scenario, an atmospheric entry vehicle of aero-maneuver ability is flown into the Martian atmo- sphere, collects the Martian dust particles and atmospheric gases during the hypersonic atmospheric flight, exits the Martian atmosphere, and is inserted into a parking orbit from which a return system departs for the earth. In order to accomplish controlled flight and successful orbit insertion, aerocapture technologies are introduced into the vehicle guidance and control system. A conceptual design is obtained as a result of the preliminary system analysis. I. Introduction In Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Mars Exploration with Landers and Orbiters (MELOS) mission is currently under investigation together with a lot of planetary scientific groups all over Japan. 1 Taking advantage of enhanced launch capability of the H-II series rockets, the next Mars exploration of JAXA is expected to be a conglomerate mission, using Mars orbiters for aeronomical and meteorological researches 2–4 and Mars landers for geoscientific researches. 5 In the mission scenario, 2 the landers and the orbiters are transported altogether to Mars and initially inserted into an extended elliptic orbit, after which the orbiters are separated and maneuvered to their respective final orbit while the landers are ejected and flown into the Martian atmosphere, using the aeroassist orbital maneuver and guidance technologies. 6 Such a mission scenario has great potential for additional probe vehicles incorporated into the MELOS mission. In this article, as one of the candidates for the MELOS mission, a nonstop Mars sample return system using the aerocapture technologies is proposed. ∗ Doctor of Engineering, Senior Researcher, Institute of Aerospace Technology, 7-44-1 Jinidaiji-higashi-machi, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8522 JAPAN. Phone:+81-(0)422-40-3231, Email:fujita.kazuhisa@jaxa.jp, Senior Member AIAA. † Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8654 JAPAN. ‡ Research Associate, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8654 JAPAN. § Doctor of Engineering, Researcher, Institute of Aerospace Technology, 7-44-1 Jinidaiji-higashi-machi, Chofu, Tokyo, 182- 8522 JAPAN. Member AIAA. ¶ Professor, JAXA Space Exploration Center, 3-1-1, Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510 JAPAN. ‖ Graduate student, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561 JAPAN. Copyright c  2009 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 of 13 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Paper 2009-5614 AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference 10 - 13 August 2009, Chicago, Illinois AIAA 2009-5614 Copyright © 2009 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.