A New Horizons Clone To 2003 Ub313? Options

[SFJCody]

Pluto's current distance from the Sun: ~31AU
2003 UB313's current distance from the Sun ~97AU

Is an all chemical (no electric propulsion, solar sails, etc) mission to 2003 UB313 possible? I'm thinking of a travel time and spacecraft mass similar to New Horizons. Perhaps NASA's new Shuttle derived launch vehicle (payload capacity 125 metric tonnes to LEO) will be up to the task and could do this on a test flight.

[tasp]

Pioneer 11 passed Jupiter at less than 30,000 KM.

High angle across Jovian equator drastically cut radiation exposure.

Sending craft out of the ecliptic with maximum gravitational assistance form Jupiter seems entirely within our capablitites.

High speed at the target object remains a problem, though.

[ugordan]

Sending craft out of the ecliptic with maximum gravitational assistance form Jupiter seems entirely within our capablitites.

Yeah, but sending the probe sharply above or below the ecliptic plane inherently diminishes the Jovian gravity assist, does it not? I'd think the biggest speed gain is when your outbound velocity is directed along Jupiter's orbital velocity, not upwards or below. That means the greates speeds achievable using gravity assists will be more or less in the ecliptic plane.
I guess...

um3k: That problem could be partly alleviated simply by using longer integration/exposure times. This again prefers slower flyby speeds as motion blur would be smaller. Motion blur would probably be a big problem with the highest resolution imagery around C/A even when using target motion compensation as the target area viewing vantage point is changing in addition to doing a simple translation (which motion compensation takes care of) when viewed from the spacecraft point.

All points show ordinary chemical propulsion would pretty much suck at the task.

[tasp]

Yeah, but sending the probe sharply above or below the ecliptic plane inherently diminishes the Jovian gravity assist, does it not? I'd think the biggest speed gain is when your outbound velocity is directed along Jupiter's orbital velocity, not upwards or below. That means the greates speeds achievable using gravity assists will be more or less in the ecliptic plane.
I guess... 

Not sure I've worked this out in my head correctly, but at a 45 degree angle to Jupiter equator, maximum grav assist would be around 71% of nominal.

And the angle allows a closer approach per a given radiation exposure. Angled to reach Pluto, (17 degree maximum) the grav assist would be almost maximum possible if timed properly.

Once a craft is on the trajectory to Jupiter, mass of the craft becomes irrelevant in regards to grav assist, btw.

Dramatic photo op!

[ugordan]

Not sure I've worked this out in my head correctly, but at a 45 degree angle to Jupiter equator, maximum grav assist would be around 71% of nominal.

Isn't Jupiter's equator more or less edge on to the ecliptic? A 45 degree approach is bound to slinghot you way above/below the ecliptic.

Once a craft is on the trajectory to Jupiter, mass of the craft becomes irrelevant in regards to grav assist, btw.

True, but the additional mass certainly counts when you're injecting the spacecraft to Jupiter in the first place. The fact Jupiter doesn't care how massive you are doesn't help your escape from an Earth parking orbit at all.

[abalone]

Isn't Jupiter's equator more or less edge on to the ecliptic?

It is not Jupiter's equator or the ecliptic that matter it is the plane of the planets orbit. It just so happens that for Jupiter they are almost the same. For Uranus it matters of course if it is to be used for grav assist

Planet X Posted Yesterday, 10:59 PM
At what angle and distance did Ulysses encounter Jupiter to be shot into an 80-dgree inclided orbit?

If a gravity assist is an increase in velocity then this may not qualify as if was simply using Jupiter to change the inclination of the orbit, but then again that is a deltaV so it may.

[ugordan]

It is not Jupiter's equator or the ecliptic that matter it is the plane of the planets orbit. It just so happens that for Jupiter they are almost the same. For Uranus it matters of course if it is to be used for grav assist

I think you misunderstood me. What I was getting at is that most planets (well, all when you exclude Pluto ) orbit in practically the same plane. Jupiter's equatorial plane is also similar to that plane meaning the most intense radiation area around Jupiter is "conveniently" placed so most spacecraft that want to reach one of those planets need to fly through the densest part of the radiation belt IF they want to maximize the slingshot effectiveness, that is fly as close to Jupiter as possible.