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Title: Preliminary Design of an Advanced Mission to Pluto
Primary Author: Andreas Rathke
Secondary Author(s): Torsten Bondo, Roger Walker, Andrew Willig, Dario Izzo, Mark Ayre
Institution: ESA/ESTEC Advanced Concepts Team, Keplerlaan 1 2200 AZ, Nordwijk ZH, The Netherlands
Summary: A technology assessment and feasibility study is being performed within the ESA Advanced Concepts Team on sending a small-to-medium (700-900 kg) Nuclear Electric Propulsion spacecraft into orbit around Pluto with a mission launch in 2016 using existing or emerging space technology.
Panel Selection: Primitive Bodies: Asteroids, comets, Phobos, Deimos, Pluto/Charon and other Kuiper belt objects, meteorites, and interplanetary dust.
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These documents have been prepared in coordination with the National Academies of Science in support of the National Academies Planetary Science Decadal Survey. These documents are being made available for information purposes only, and any views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of NASA, JPL, or the California Institute of Technology.