A Review of Mission Architectures for the Exploration of Trans-Neptunian Objects

James Evans Lyne, Canaan Anderson

jbis-078-09-0320

DOI https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-078-09-0320

Only two Trans-Neptunian Objects have been visited to date, Pluto and Arrokoth, both encountered on flybys during the New Horizons mission. There are now over 5,000 known bodies in this distant region of the Solar System. These present a rich and widely varied opportunity for future space exploration but significant design challenges due to the great distances and long transit times involved. This paper presents an overview of work done over the last twenty years on potential mission designs. These studies include a broad range of destinations, propulsion systems and mission architectures. The most promising targets and strategies identified to date are discussed, and suggestions are made for future work.

Keywords: Trans-Neptunian Object, Interplanetary Mission, Kuiper Belt, TNO, KBO