Multiprobe Mission Architecture Options for a Uranus Flagship Mission

In situ atmospheric measurements are a high priority for any future Flagship mission to the Ice Giants; however, most current mission concepts only include a single atmospheric entry probe in their designs. To maximize science returns and provide redundancy at a marginal cost, different mission architecture options are explored to deliver multiple atmospheric probes to Uranus. A methodology is developed for the consistent and generalized design of each architecture, integrating interplanetary trajectories, science orbits, probe entry and descent trajectories, telecommunication and data transfer performances, and to a certain extent, risks. A baseline single-probe mission is first designed using this methodology. Then, different architecture options to add a small secondary probe to this baseline mission are explored one by one and compared with each other and the original baseline mission. During the design of these different architectures, it is found that operational conflicts and data transmission capabilities are key drivers for the mission design and render some configurations infeasible. Comparisons are then made on the impact to the baseline single-probe mission, and it is determined that an additional 30 kg probe can be delivered to Uranus for a total mass penalty of under 100 kg. The dependence of probe mission design on the selection of interplanetary trajectory is also explored and is shown to have a significant impact on the design of the mission and its potential for success.

Automated summary

Research focused on delivering multiple atmospheric probes to Uranus explores different mission architecture options, developing a methodology for integrating the design elements for each architecture and comparing the impact of different architectures on the baseline mission to enhance scientific returns.