Flyby of Io with Repeat Encounters
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FIRE (Flyby of Io with Repeat Encounters) is a concept mission to Jupiter's innermost major moon Io. The mission was first presented in 2012[2] for a possible future consideration by NASA's New Frontiers program.[3]
Overview
If developed in the future, the FIRE spacecraft would use three gravity assists to reach Jupiter six years later.[3] The spacecraft would orbit Jupiter and perform 10 flybys of Io, some as low as 100 km (62 mi) from its surface.[3][1] The ten flybys would be completed in approximately four months.[1]
As a New Frontiers class mission, the cost cap would be $991 million (FY2012) with a $927 million base cap with a $64 million launch vehicle cost credit.[1]
Goals and objectives
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Payload
The instrument suite includes four proposed instruments: [2][3]
- Visible OpticaL Camera And Near-infrared Observer (VOLCANO) is a visible/near-infrared imager.
- Multi-Axis Geophysical Magnetometer (MAGMA) is a magnetic instrumentation subpackage.
- Comprehensive AnaLysis of Dust from ERuptions and Atmosphere (CALDERA), is a dust analyzer that would identify the material in the volcanic plumes.
- FieLd Analysis through Radio Exploration (FLARE) is a radio science experiment.
Power
Electric power to the spacecraft and its scientific payload would be generated by three Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generators (ASRG).[3][1] ASRG is a radioisotope power system under development at NASA's Glenn Research Center. It uses a Stirling power conversion technology to convert radioactive-decay heat into electricity for use on spacecraft.
See also
- Atmosphere of Io
- Io Volcano Observer (IVO), a mission concept to Io
- Volcanology of Io
References
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