  With advancements in low-cost launchers and small interplanetary spacecraft,
NASA has recognized the potential of small missions to perform focused
planetary science investigations at Mars and Venus. The EscaPADE, part of the
NASA SIMPLEx program will deliver two small spacecraft to elliptical orbits
around Mars using the Photon spacecraft. Orbit insertion, particularly to
low-circular orbits requires significant propellant, taking up a substantial
fraction of the Photon wet mass and present a significant challenge for small
missions. The large $\Delta$V requirements for low-circular orbit make it
difficult to insert small satellites into these orbits even with the highly
capable Photon, as the total $\Delta$V for Earth escape and orbit insertion
exceeds its capability. Drag modulation aerocapture offers a promising
alternative, using the atmospheric drag to obtain the large $\Delta$V. The
study shows how the Photon when combined with drag modulation aerocapture can
deliver small orbiters to low-circular orbits, enabling a wide range of small
orbiter missions. Aerocapture eliminates the need for Photon to provide 2 to
3.5 km/s of $\Delta$V for orbit insertion, which translate into mass and cost
savings, and can enable frequent low-cost small orbiters and small satellite
constellations at Mars and Venus in the near future.

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics;Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics;Applied Physics