Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Sauer, Carl G..
This paper presents a survey of the prerformance of small low-power Solar-Electric-Propulsion (SEP) spacecraft for planetary missions. These missions include main belt asteroid rendezvous, comet rendezvous, outer planet orbiters, Pluto flyby, solar probe and Mars and Mercury Orbiters.
There is currently a vigorous investigation underway of low-cost planetary missions using small, inexpensive spacecraft. In order to keep the total mission costs down either a medium class launch vehicle such as a Delta II or an intermediate class launch vehicle such as an Atlas IIA or Atlas IIAS would be required for these planetary missions.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.