DESIGN AND COST ANALYSIS OF HIGH-POWER SOLAR ELECTRIC PROPULSION PLATFORMS

Nowadays, space agencies are trying to select cost-effective solutions, to minimize space missions cost without affecting the performance. It means that cost analysis needs to cope with mission and feasibility analysis since the early design phases. The paper focuses on the preliminary design of high-power SEP platforms for space exploration and transportation, highlighting how the cost can represent one of the critical parameters to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the solutions proposed. Particular attention is dedicated to the effects of specific design choices, mainly for the SEP subsystem, on the platforms design and cost. Main results are presented and discussed, and main conclusions are drawn.