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Outer Solar System—Sample Return Mission by an Unmanned Interplanetary Spaceship UNIS

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Outer Solar System

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Abstract

The Outer Solar System (OSS) with its vast dimensions contains a large number of different objects, e.g. gas giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn, dwarf planets like Pluto, and countless comets and asteroids. If we want to utilize the natural resources of the OSS, we should bring back soil and rock samples of celestial bodies in the OSS for chemical analysis to estimate the resources of metals, water, and other useful materials in this remoted region. We have designed a preliminary concept for a sample return mission to two minor bodies in the OSS, the Jupiter Trojan asteroid (624) Hektor and the Centaur group asteroid (2060) Chiron. The spacecraft UNIS (Unmanned Interplanetary Spaceship) for this long duration mission (probably lasting some decades) would be assembled in Low Earth Orbit. To reach the targets it would need to perform several gravity assist maneuvers via planetary encounters in the Inner Solar System. After arriving at the targets a robotic lander (SPIDER) would be activated to descend to and sample the surface.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consulting Architect, Dr Billroth-Strasse 6, A-3430, Tulln, Austria

    Werner Grandl

  2. University of Vienna, Türkenschanzstrasse 17, A-1180, Vienna, Austria

    Ákos Bazsó & Andreas F. Felsenstein

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  1. Werner Grandl
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  2. Ákos Bazsó
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  3. Andreas F. Felsenstein
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Correspondence to Werner Grandl .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Candida Oancea Institute, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

    Viorel Badescu

  2. Honeybee Robotics Spacecraft Mechanisms Corporation, Pasadena, California, USA

    Kris Zacny

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Grandl, W., Bazsó, Á., Felsenstein, A.F. (2018). Outer Solar System—Sample Return Mission by an Unmanned Interplanetary Spaceship UNIS. In: Badescu, V., Zacny, K. (eds) Outer Solar System. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73845-1_15

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