Mission Description

• (W/ only planet-centered portion of entire mission)

  Start from a low circular polar orbit around Charon, spiral-out, and end at a low circular polar orbit around Pluto.

  • Start Date:  Jan 1, 2027 (fixed)
  • Flight Time: 44 days (fixed)
  • Initial mass:  6,100.0 kg (fixed)
  • Initial State around Charon:
    • Semi-major axis = 685 km
    • Inclination = 90 deg
    • Eccentricity = 0
  • Final State around Pluto:
    • Semi-major axis = 1350 km
    • Inclination = 90 deg
    • Eccentricity < 0.1
  • Propellant Mass Constraint: mp < 115 kg
  • Propulsion and power system mass (alpha) = 50 kg/kW
  • Tankage fraction = 0.1,  (Tank mass/propellant mass)
  • Propulsion Model:  simple electric engine,
  • Isp 6100 sec, (optimal +/- 100sec)
  • 0.65 efficiency
  • Power Model: constant power (nuclear), 84.05 kW (fixed)
  • Objective function:  final mass
  • Originally modeled using Mystic

Figure 26.1 Charon to Pluto Leg – Pluto Centered
(Pluto spiral-in segment not shown)

Figure 26.2 Charon to Pluto Leg – Charon Centered
(Pluto spiral-in segment not shown)

Input/Output files

Mystic9_0_0.zip (download)