Flyby of Io with Repeat Encounters on:
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''FIRE'' (Flyby of Io with Repeat Encounters) is a concept mission to
The instrument suite includes four proposed instruments:
# Visible OpticaL Camera And Near-infrared Observer (VOLCANO) is a visible/near- infrared imager.
# Multi-Axis Geophysical
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
's innermost major moon Io. The mission was first presented in 2012 for a possible future consideration by NASA's New Frontiers program
The New Frontiers program is a series of space exploration missions being conducted by NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the ...
.
Overview
If developed in the future, the ''FIRE'' spacecraft would use threegravity assist
A gravity assist, gravity assist maneuver, swing-by, or generally a gravitational slingshot in orbital mechanics, is a type of spaceflight flyby (spaceflight), flyby which makes use of the relative movement (e.g. orbit around the Sun) and gra ...
s to reach Jupiter six years later. The spacecraft would orbit Jupiter and perform 10 flybys of Io, some as low as from its surface. The ten flybys would be completed in approximately four months.
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.
Goals and objectives
Payload
The instrument suite includes four proposed instruments:
# Visible OpticaL Camera And Near-infrared Observer (VOLCANO) is a visible/near- infrared imager.
# Multi-Axis Geophysical Magnetometer
A magnetometer is a device that measures magnetic field or magnetic dipole moment. Different types of magnetometers measure the direction, strength, or relative change of a magnetic field at a particular location. A compass is one such device, ...
(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). ASRG is aradioisotope
A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess numbers of either neutrons or protons, giving it excess nuclear energy, and making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ...
power system under development at NASA's Glenn Research Center
NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field is a NASA center within the cities of Brook Park, Ohio, Brook Park and Cleveland between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the Rocky River Reservation of Cleveland Metroparks, with a s ...
. It uses a Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
power conversion technology to convert radioactive-decay heat into electricity for use on spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed spaceflight, to fly and operate in outer space. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including Telecommunications, communications, Earth observation satellite, Earth observation, Weather s ...
.
See also
*Atmosphere of Io
The atmosphere of Io is the extremely thin blanket of gases surrounding Jupiter's third largest moon Io. The atmosphere is primarily composed of sulfur dioxide (), along with sulfur monoxide (), sodium chloride (), and monoatomic sulfur and oxyg ...
*Io Volcano Observer
Io Volcano Observer (IVO) is a proposed low-cost mission to explore Jupiter's moon Io (moon), Io to understand tidal heating as a fundamental planetary process. The main science goals are to understand (A) how and where tidal heat is generated in ...
(IVO), a mission concept to Io
* Volcanology of Io
References
{{Io Missions to Jupiter Io (moon) New Frontiers program proposals