Research on small spacecraft systems that can carry out long-term deep space missions

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Agile and Frequent Solar System Exploration with Innovative Microsatellite
• Project/Area Number: 20H05748
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Transformative Research Areas, Section (II)
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Funase Ryu 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 准教授 (70509819)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 川端 洋輔 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 助教 (80803006) ; 中島 晋太郎 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 特任助教 (80873380)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-10-02 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 超小型衛星 / 深宇宙探査 / 太陽系探査 / 超小型探査機

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to extend the frontier of small satellite activities to deep space, which has been expanding explosively in low Earth orbit, to realize truly high-frequency and flexible deep space exploration that can be carried out by anyone at any time, and to contribute to the advances in solar system science.
We have realized an orbit and attitude control system capable of driving a high thrust propulsion system to enable an ultra-small spacecraft that is equipped with an orbit transfer propulsion system capable of about 1 km/s acceleration, and that can head for deep space such as the Moon and Mars from a piggy-back launch to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) or lunar gateway. The feasibility of the proposed system was demonstrated through the design of a specific mission with a science payload on board.

Free Research Field

宇宙工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は，近年爆発的に活用が広がっている低コスト・短期開発可能な超小型衛星の活動領域を，地球低軌道から月やそれ以遠の深宇宙へと拡大することにより，「深宇宙探査をいつでも誰でも実施可能」という真に高頻度で機動的な深宇宙探査の実現を目指すものであり，太陽系科学という学術分野の発展や深宇宙領域の民間活用に貢献することが期待される．