Solar Powered- Ion Propulsion driven CubeSat for exploration of Ultima Thule

Oort Cloud has always fascinated humans with its location and the secrets that it might hold for the humanity to explore. The analysis done on the data gathered during the New Horizons spacecraft`s 2019 flyby of the Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69 - Ultima Thule - unveil much about the object`s development, geology and composition. The recent research published in the Science Magazine, NASA team found evidence for methanol, water ice and organic molecules on Ultima Thule`s surface - a mixture different from icy objects explored previously by spacecraft. This paper presents a holistic approach to reach deep inside the Kuiper Belt using Solar Powered, Ion Propulsion driven CubeSat with high end on-board electronics to extract scientific data from Ultima Thule. The CubeSat will have adaptive Machine Learning capabilities, which will enable the spacecraft to automatically do a course correction and reach its destination, even in the case of a communication loss or gap from Earth. The mission architecture proposed through the paper has been designed to maximize the scientific data from Ultima Thule. A detailed description of the Machine Learning Algorithm will be included. 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 Kuiper Belt is increased. In addition, this paper hopes to establish some general guidelines for such a exploratory deep space mission.