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Mars

The second pending interplanetary ISAS mission is Planet-B, a Mars orbital mission due for launch in 1998 with arrival at the Red Planet in 1999. The primary goal of the 35-kg payload will be to study the interaction of the solar wind with Mars' atmosphere. Mars has a very weak magnetic field as compared with Earth and all other planets except Venus, thus it is suspected that the un obstructed solar wind strips away much of the Martian atmosphere. The spacecraft will weigh approximately 540 kg at launch with a bus diameter of 2.0 m. The spin-stabilized (7.5 rpm) Planet-B will also feature two solar arrays capable of producing up to 200 W in Mars orbit, a 5-m long mast, a 1.7-m long boom, and four wire antennas about 25 min length. Twelve principal instruments have been selected to measure the local particles and fields in addition to mapping the Martian surface from altitudes ranging from 150 km to 30,000 km (References 143-148).

143. I. Nakatani, et al, "Planet-B: Japanese Mars Mission", Paper IAF-93-Q.3.400, 44th Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, 1993.

144. J. Kawaguchi, et al, "On Making Use of Lunar and Solar Gravity Assists in Lunar-A, Planet-B Missions",Paper IAF-93-A.6.46, 44th Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, 1993.

145. The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 1993, op. cit., p. 17.

146. K. P. Dawson. "Japan to Benin Design Work for Mars Exploration Satellite", Space News, 10-16 February 1992, p. 26.

147. "Japanese Mars Mission at Science Milestone", Aviation Week and Space Technology, 12 October 1992, p. 58.

148. "Lowering the Boom on Mars", Signal, June 1993, p.15.

Sources and Resources

• Adapted from: Europe and Asia in Space 1993-1994, Nicholas Johnson and David Rodvold [Kaman Sciences / Air Force Phillips Laboratory]

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