Interplanetary small satellites for the future...

To be Launched, Small interplanetary probes

1998

  Mars Orbiter 2

A 450kg spacecraft being developed for NASA to be launched towards Mars on a DELTA-2-7325 in December 1998. The estimated project cost is $34m (1996).

1999

  Mars Lander 1

A 250kg spacecraft being developed for NASA to be launched towards Mars on a DELTA-2-7325 in January 1999. The estimated project cost is $34m (1996).

To be manifested

  Near Earth Astroid Prospector (NEAP)

A NASA mission of opportunity under the "discovery" program, by SpaceDev Inc.

 

  Pluto-Kuiper Express

A spacecraft being designed by JPL, but not yet approved by NASA. It is to be launched in 2003 to arrive at Pluto in 2013-2016, in order to map its surface, determine its composition and atmosphere. It is to move on top the Kuiper belt. The spacecraft dry mass is 103kg, and is expected to cost US$284m (1995) including US$43m for the launch. More...
[Pluto Kuiper Express at JPL]

 

  SMART-1

A 300kg lunar mission by the Swedish Space Corp, under the ESA SMART initiative. The satellite is based on the ODIN bus, and aims to use two <100mN Xenon ion engines. It is due for launch from 2001 onwards on an ARIANE 5 launcher with a planned budget of 60m ECU (1997). More...
[SMART-1 at SSC]

 

  MUSES-C

MUSES-C is a small 490kg spacecraft which plans to land on a near-Earth asteroid (25413) 1998SF36 and aims to bring back samples of the asteroid's surface for detailed analysis. It is scheduled for launch in November 2002 using ISAS's M-V launch vehicle from the Kagoshima Space Centre (KSC). MUSES-C is expected to arrive at the asteroid in the middle of 2005, leave in November to December 2005, and return to earth in June 2007. In addition to the sampling system MUSES-C will carry a CCD camera, X-ray Spectrometer, Near Infrared Spectrometer, and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) instrument.