November 2016
Rosetta - an eventful cruise phase
... pushing to longer periods. The spacecraft designers had invented a special attitude control mode for the quiet cruise phase, to save lifetime of some onboard units. This mode also restricted most of the operations on the spacecraft, allowing...
November 2018
BepiColombo – a mission to explore Mercury
... nature of the craft also helps to evenly distribute the heat. Because it will not be spinning during the cruise phase, it is thermally protected by a sunshield. Artist’s impression of the upper stage and payload launch adapter separating from the...
November 2017
Reusable air-launch and the space access paradigm
... and/or frequent launch is a primary requirement. Furthermore, as air-launch operations are likely to involve a significant cruise phase, such systems could be ‘evolved’, either to harvest oxygen in-flight [2] or to transfer it from a tanker aircraft...
August 2020
Interstellar aspirations
.... Small photonic thrusters on the nanocraft would fire continuously to provide course corrections of up to an astronomical unit during its cruise phase. The nanocraft would fly within a few million kilometres of the target planet obtaining image data...
07 February 2020
ESA's Solar Orbiter mission set to launch on 10 February
...first hurdles Solar Orbiter needs to perfect is the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP). This is a critical and risky part of the mission’s...more fuel can be saved”. Once in its initial cruise phase, which lasts until November 2021, Solar Orbiter will ...
30 October 2019
Solar Orbiter ready for launch transfer
... mission with NASA participation and will be launched from Cape Canaveral in February 2020. During the initial cruise phase, which lasts until November 2021, Solar Orbiter will perform two gravity-assist manoeuvres around Venus...
