Mission analysis for the Martian Moons Explorer (MMX) mission. (May 2018) - Campagnola, Stefano
Abstract: Mars Moon eXplorer (MMX) is JAXA's next candidate flagship mission to be launched in the early 2020s. MMX will explore the Martian moons and return a sample from Phobos. This paper presents the mission analysis work, focusing on the transfer legs and comparing several architectures, such as hybrid options with chemical and electric propulsion modules. The selected baseline is a chemical-propulsion Phobos sample return, which is discussed in detail with the launch- and return-window analysis. The trajectories are optimized with the jTOP software, using planetary ephemerides for Mars and the Earth; Earth re-entry constraints are modeled with simple analytical equations. Finally, we introduce an analytical approximation of the three-burn capture strategy used in the Mars system. The approximation can be used together with a Lambert solver to quickly determine the transfer Δ v costs. Highlights: We present the mission design for JAXA's Mars moon sample return mission MMX. We focus on architectures for the transfer leg, using SEP and chemical propulsion CP. The current baseline is presented, a CP Phobos-sample return. Transfers are optimized in ephemerides model for different launch periods and years. We describe an analytical approximation of the optimal three-burn strategy at Mars.