Exploration of Enceladus through constellation of CubeSats

The desire for a better understanding of the Universe has been the dynamo of our civilization. Ever since the discoveries made by the Cassini spacecraft, human fascination has only increased about Enceladus. This paper presents a sustainable approach to study more about Enceladus through constellation of satellites. The mission architecture proposed through the paper has been designed to maximize the scientific data from the Enceladus surface. Various trade studies will be included at the architectural and system levels to demonstrate the compliance of the science instruments for a complete optimization. Detailed in-orbit observations and communication plans for the constellation of satellites and their transmission to the Earth will be showcased. Comprehensive tables and graphs will be given to illustrate the compliance of the functionality of the constellation of satellites. Tables will also be given to depict the amount of time that will pass at each mode of travel and more importantly, some idea on the cost in terms of energy, as well as money, will be discussed within today’s context. Even though the possibility of such a mission is probably non-existent for this decade, it is essential to do these exercises so that mankind’s understanding of Enceladus will be increased. Enceladus discoveries have changed the direction of planetary science, this mission hopes to establish some general guidelines for such an exploratory mission.