Solar and Hybrid Electric Propulsion to the Kuiper Belt and Beyond
Whitepaper #307 submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032. Topics: giant planets systems; primitive bodies; technology development
by Edgar A Bering, Alex Parker, Matthew Giambusso, Mark Carter, Jared Squire, Franklin Chang Díaz, and Sarah M. Hörst
Published onMar 18, 2021
Solar and Hybrid Electric Propulsion to the Kuiper Belt and Beyond
The authors explore a solar electric propulsion (SEP)concept to send missions to Neptune and beyond. The plan uses an Oberth manoeuvre close to the Sun. With SEP, the effect of the Oberth manoeuvre is boosted by the higher level of solar energy to produce high thrust. This trajectory provides enough kinetic energy to reach the outer system.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0)
