MeSat Mission: Exploring Martian Environment with THz Radiometer Payload and Optimal Trajectory

Abstract

Space exploration presents vast prospects for scientific, industrial, and economic progress. This paper introduces the MeSat mission as a pioneering approach to Mars exploration. The MeSat aims to deepen our understanding of Martian conditions and resources by employing an optimized Earth-to-Mars trajectory, enabling a comprehensive study of the Martian atmosphere and surface. The mission comprises a cargo microsatellite hosting three 6U CubeSats and two 3U CubeSats, deployed into four separate Mars orbits to form a constellation. Each CubeSat carries distinct payloads: a THz radiometer for Martian water vapor atmospheric observation, a high-resolution surface camera, a high-tech spectrometer, and a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) for wind speed readings. This paper includes the majority of the key parameters; however, we focus our discussion more on two aspects of this pioneering mission: the first aspect contains the proposal of four distinct payloads for the study of Mars’ atmosphere and the second aspect proposes an optimal mission design algorithm that analyzes a fuel-efficient low-thrust trajectory from Earth to Mars. Regarding the payloads, the THz radiometer requires a specific design; hence, we explain this payload in more depth; the rest of the payloads, we suggest utilizing commercially available elements for the cost-effective manufacture of a whole system. For mission trajectory optimization, the study employs a dual-step hybrid optimization algorithm (PSO-homotopy) to analyze fuel-efficient low-thrust trajectories from Earth to Mars, incorporating the ephemeris dynamics model to account for gravitational perturbations in the entire Solar System. In practical mission design, crucial factors like hyperbolic excess velocity, diverse opportunities for Earth launch and Mars rendezvous, varied propulsion systems, and time of flight (TOF) play vital roles in trajectory optimization. In summary, for the MeSat mission, we propose a comprehensive Mars environmental mission design. We consider all aspects of the mission from trajectory design to engineering detail design, since we would like to inspire future Mars missions with a complete report.