Novel Mission Ideas on Deep Space Science and Exploration with Nano/micro satellites
The MIC7 Report

Editors:
Rainer Sandau, Rei Kawashima, Shinichi Nakasuka, Willem Herman Steyn

International Academy of Astronautics
IAA Book Series
Small Satellite – Programs, Missions, Technologies and Applications

This volume represents the final papers from 7th Mission Idea Contest (MIC) on deep space science and exploration with Nano/Micro satellites. The main goal of the MIC is to provide opportunities for aerospace engineers, college students, consultants, and anybody else with an interest in space to propose their ideas on how to employ/use Micro/Nano/Pico satellites and obtain international recognition. Each MIC challenges contestants to propose novel missions aligned to a theme such as constellations, Earth observation, etc. within given constraints. Contestants must produce a comprehensive mission plan which demonstrates practical knowledge of aerospace engineering. Moreover, each mission must be realistic such that it could feasibly be implemented successfully. Additional considerations in support of space as a human endeavor, such as the United Nations Sustainability Goals, are highly encouraged. For the first time in the history of the Mission Idea contest, concepts on the application of nanosatellites in deep space science and exploration were presented in a hybrid event hosted in Tokyo on November 13, 2021. These deep space applications demonstrate the enormous advancement in nano satellite technology and the significance of this technology for the future of space.
Nine papers from a variety of submissions from throughout the world are included in this collection.