1.0 MISSION MODEL
1.1 General Mission
The subject of this report is the design of an unmanned probe to Alpha Centauri. This mission is called for in the report by the National Commission on Space, Pioneering the Space Frontier. On pages 38 through 40 the commission outlines a program for the period "beyond the initial operation of the space station," and includes "a long life high-velocity spacecraft to be sent out of the Solar System on a trajectory to the nearest star." Our probe will be a completely autonomous design based upon a combination of current technology and technological advances which can be reasonably expected to be developed over the next 20 to 30 years. The expected launch date is in the beginning of the next century with a transit time of 100 years.
The mission profile will be as follows:
- Assembly of modular components on the ground.
- Launch of components to LEO.
- Assembly of components at Space Station.
- Boost assembled and fueled spacecraft to injection point for interstellar trajectory using chemical upper stage.
- Start main fusion drive and begin interstellar flight which will last approximately 100 years.
- During this period data will be returned on the interstellar medium and magnetic fields.
- Enter elliptical orbit around Beta Centauri and begin transmission of data.
