STE-QUEST Mission Requirements Document
Publication date: 19 September 2012
Authors: STE-QUEST Study Team
Issue: 2, revision 3
Year: 2012
Copyright: ESA
Reference: SRE-PA/2011.074/RQ/MG
STE-QUEST is an M-class mission candidate for the M3 slot within the Cosmic Vision programme, for a planned launch between 2022 and 2024. STE-QUEST, with 3 other science missions, was recommended by the Space Science Advisory Committee (SSAC) to enter an assessment study (Phase 0), starting by an ESA internal study followed by parallel industrial study activities. Within the M3 boundary conditions, the readiness for launch by end 2022/2024 is a severe requirement which in practice requires designing the space segment without major technology developments and with minimum developments risks. Therefore, only technologies with estimated Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) of at least 5 by the end of the Phase A (estimated at the end of 2014) may be used.
This document aims at providing a complete and comprehensive list of all high level mission requirements (including spacecraft and payload, launcher, ground segment and operations) necessary to achieve the science goals detailed in [STE-QUEST Science Requirements Document, FPM-SA-Dc-00001]. It is hence an applicable document that shall be complied with for all mission design activities. The MRD will be further reviewed matching the results of future study phases (e.g. definition phase) to finally evolve in the System Requirements Document at the start of the implementation phase.
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