D1.2 Mission and Spacecraft Design Challenges of the Sun-Earth L5 Point Lagrange Space Weather Monitoring Mission

As part of its SSA Programme, ESA has initiated a study to define an operational system to monitor, predict and disseminate space weather information. It will generate alerts to a wide user community in sectors like space-based communications, human spaceflight, broadcasting, and many others. A key asset will be a space-based observatory, to be placed at the Sun-Earth L5 point. This paper will present an in-depth discussion of the mission and spacecraft design challenges. A distinguishing feature is that it will be the first ever deep-space mission providing an operational service. The resulting implications on the spacecraft design and autonomy will be highlighted in this paper. From a mission point of view, a narrow orbit about the L5 point needs to be established by means of a suitable transfer and manoeuvre strategy. This fixed geometry has several implications on the spacecraft and its subsystems, which will be elaborated in this paper.

Rolf JANOVSKY

Director Predevelopment, Space System Studies & Proposals, OHB System AG-Bremen

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