Pioneering interstellar space

Considering some of the technological advances made since the beginning of space flight, missions to the far reaches of our solar system may soon become more common.This paper outlines a number of possibilities for a deep space mission, which aims to study the role our solar system takes in the universe and in local interstellar space and search for clues to the origin and evolution of matter in the universe and of life on earth. This will be achieved by investigating the following scientific subjects: Study of the physics and interaction between the solar system and interstellar space; Assessment of information on interstellar dust and comets inside the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud; Quantification of the presence and characteristics of organic materials in the outer solar system and interstellar space. Each of these mission possibilities relate to the heliopause region where charged particles from our sun interact with inbound particles from interstellar space. Located at a distance of approximately 100 astronomical units (AU) from earth, the heliopause forms the boundary of our solar system and its properties are of great interest to scientists. The mission could also proof the existence of the expected bow shock. This paper forms part of the International Design Synthesis Exercise 2004 and represents the combined efforts of an international design team of ten students from RMIT University and Delft University of Technology (TUDelft) in the Netherlands. Mentoring has also been provided from European Space Agency Science Payload and Advanced Concepts Office. The design effort has been divided into two sections which are scientific and engineering in nature. The paper then focuses on the engineering task of designing a space probe to deliver and support the payload to the required location. Subsystem design and integration form the bulk of this part and include power, propulsion, communication, attitude control and thermal systems.