Future Space Mission Design

INSTITUTION

Arizona State University – Tempe

CLASS

Nickel Class (2020 – 2021)

STUDENT TEAM

Eli Haddad
Maurice Issa
Preetinderpal Singh
Molly Stevens

ACADEMIC GUIDANCE

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This capstone team had to think like a mission team and propose a follow-on mission for NASA’s Psyche Mission! This follow-on mission built on the intended science results of the original Psyche Mission. The follow-on design is open-ended in terms of spacecraft and mission design and assumed a launch date in the 2030’s. The team developed the spacecraft design and mission plan for a potential follow-on mission to the same (or similar) asteroid. Making assumptions about what will be found during the current Psyche mission, the proposed second mission should expand on the science (and do new science) on their return trip to the asteroid. Options could have include operations ranging from orbiting the asteroid, landing on the asteroid, a sample return from the asteroid, etc., and this decision will be part of the trade studies that are conducted by the team.