Democratizing Solar System Exploration, Using Low-cost Interplanetary Explorers

This paper presents a low-cost, small satellite inter-planetary explorer for solar system exploration. In contrat to the existing NASA program models such as Discovery (~500M$) and New Frontiers (~ 1B$) this class of Explorers (~ 50M$) is designed for the more eager and broader exploration of the solar system, as well as more responsive to recent discoveries and more inclusive of a broader set of space explorers, including private companies, universities and other government and private institutions. The Expansive Common Low-cost Inter-Planetary Science Explorer (ECLIPSE) is a proposed small satellite class, low-cost, multi-use spacecraft platform concept to conduct such multi-destination science across the solar system. We describe a canonical spacecraft bus for deep space exploration based on existing and emerging Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) subsystem, and a set of existing scientific payload. The spacecraft is in the small satellite (200 – 250 kg) category and carrying 25-50 kg of scientific payload. Six key measurement areas were identified including: electric field, magnetic field, planetary imaging and spectral signature, D/H ratio, ionizing radiation, and more. Measuring these quantities in a consistent manner at a large number of locations (i.e. at interplanetary distances) will significantly expand our knowledge of the history and makeup of the solar system and further democratize and broaden the scientific access to the this exciting scientific destination. The paper also presents several mission concepts for the broad exploration of the population of asteroids and commets, among other applications.