Instrumentation for Producing Groundbreaking Planetary & Astrophysical Science on an Interstellar Probe Mission (Planetary Science White Paper)

Abstract

Planetary Science White PaperAstrophysical measurements at distances outside of 50 AU from the Sun enable transformative science that are impossible to obtain from inner system platforms, such as a: Complete census of all interplanetary dust and ice permeating the solar system, and direct comparison of its distribution to exo-circumstellar disks; Stable time-domain astronomy of exoplanet transit lightcurves, exoplanet microlensing events, supernova explosions, and black hole mergers; and Measurement of all the light created by planets, stars, and galaxies over the entire history of the Universe. A single powerful instrument could be used to obtain these measurements, and to perform New Horizons-style flybys of dwarf planets & KBOs, potentially doubling the number of these kinds of worlds that have been visited and studied in great detail [1]. Though likely transformative, opportunities to fly instrumentation capable of these measurements are rare, and a mission to the distant solar system that includes instrumentation expressly designed to perform astrophysical science has never been flown. The proposed Interstellar Probe Mission (ISP; [2-5]) provides just such an opportunity for launch in 2030. In this White Paper, we describe an instrument concept to ride along on a Heliospheric Division Interstellar Probe Mission that would enable groundbreaking science via cross-divisional collaboration and cooperation within NASA (c.f. [6])