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NASA NTRS · 20140016565

Mars, Phobos, and Deimos Sample Return Enabled by ARRM Alternative Trade Study Spacecraft

Englander, Jacob A.·Vavrina, Matthew·Naasz, Bo·Merill, Raymond G.·Qu, Min
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Abstract

The Asteroid Robotic Redirect Mission (ARRM) has been the topic of many mission design studies since 2011. The reference ARRM spacecraft uses a powerful solar electric propulsion (SEP) system and a bag device to capture a small asteroid from an Earth-like orbit and redirect it to a distant retrograde orbit (DRO) around the moon. The ARRM Option B spacecraft uses the same propulsion system and multi-Degree of Freedom (DoF) manipulators device to retrieve a very large sample (thousands of kilograms) from a 100+ meter diameter farther-away Near Earth Asteroid (NEA). This study will demonstrate that the ARRM Option B spacecraft design can also be used to return samples from Mars and its moons - either by acquiring a large rock from the surface of Phobos or Deimos, and/or by rendezvousing with a sample-return spacecraft launched from the surface of Mars.

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Englander, Jacob A., Vavrina, Matthew, Naasz, Bo, Merill, Raymond G., Qu, Min. 2014-08-04. Mars, Phobos, and Deimos Sample Return Enabled by ARRM Alternative Trade Study Spacecraft. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20140016565

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