This document proposes a mission to study unexplained anomalies observed during spacecraft hyperbolic flybys of Earth. The mission would have two phases: Phase A would place cubesats into highly elliptical orbits to observe anomalies during perigee passes and hyperbolic flybys. Phase B would launch a "mothership" satellite carrying additional cubesats into a Venus flyby trajectory to observe anomalies during the Earth hyperbolic flyby. Precise position, velocity and acceleration data would be collected from the cubesats during flybys to better understand if the anomalies represent real phenomena. The goal is to obtain tracking data from at least 12 flyby events within 5 years to evaluate theories regarding the flyby anomalies.

1. HYPERBOLIC FLYBY
ANOMALY RESEARCH
ENDEAVOR (FLARE)
BRIEFING: SCOPE AND CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

2. SCOPE
NEED: To evaluate whether apparent hyperbolic flyby anomalies are representative of real phenomena, or
are otherwise unaccounted for data artifacts.
STAKEHOLDERS: NASA/JPL Mission Designers, Trajectory Software Engineers, Physics Community
GOAL: Collect a greater quantity of data points during hyperbolic flybys and extremely elliptical orbits.
OBJECTIVE: Track a high quantity of small satellites through elliptical and hyperbolic flybys to obtain
position, velocity, and acceleration data comparable or superior to NEAR’s flyby data.
MISSION: Two phases will gather data on extremely elliptical orbits and hyperbolic flybys of Earth, due
to the planet’s well determined gravity field, rapid rotation, and measurement capability.

3. REQUIREMENTS
• Timeline Requirements
• Mission shall provide tracking data for at least 12 flyby or similar events within 5 years of initial launch.
• Coverage Requirements
• Position, and thus velocity data, shall be obtained for at least a period of 184 hours centered at time of perigee
for each orbit.
• Data sampling frequency shall be no less than 10 Hz.
• Flyby position and velocity data shall be collected at a range of orbital declinations, orbital angular
momentums, and perigee altitudes TBD.

4. REQUIREMENTS
• Data Requirements
• Velocity data noise level shall be no more than 0.1 mm/s.
• Position data shall be collected at cm precision order of magnitude.
• Sufficient spacecraft state data shall be collected to account for spacecraft velocity perturbations of order of
magnitude of at least 0.1 mm/s.
• Data loss shall be less than 5%, with no data gaps greater than 10 minutes duration.

5. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
• Baseline Phase A
• 3-6 1-3 unit cubesats will be placed into high apogee orbits
with eccentricities >= 0.8 and inclinations varying from 45 to 90
degrees via piggyback on LEO to GEO missions.
• Cubesat positions and velocities will be tracked from ground
stations using X-Band Doppler carrier shift and on-board using
dual-frequency GPS receivers synced to rubidium frequency
standards.
• After at least 6 perigee passes observed, cubesats will perform
DSM to transition to hyperbolic flybys.
• Same tracking methods will be used.

6. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
• Baseline Phase B
• A ‘mothership’ satellite will be launched into Venus
transfer orbit, utilizing hyperbolic flyby at Venus to
return to Earth upon a hyperbolic flyby trajectory.
• During Earth approach, mothership will deploy at least 6
cubesats (identical to Phase A sats) into constellation
with mothership across varying declinations, altitudes,
and orbital angular velocities.
• All satellites will be tracked through hyperbolic flyby in
same manner as Phase A. Many flybys will be observed
nearly simultaneously, allowing direct comparison
across several variables.

7. ADDITIONAL SCOPE INFORMATION
• Constraints
• Initial budgetary considerations (Phase A uses cubesats only).
• Launch availability for cubesat piggyback.
• Phase B relies on synodic periods of Venus and Earth for launch opportunities.
• Assumptions
• Only high TRL methods will be used (cubesats, cold gas, GPS, X-Band, etc.)
• Authority
• Preliminary systems engineering, design, scope, ConOps, and trades will be performed by UT Spacecraft/Mission
Design students.
• Further development & design, manufacturing, integration, testing, flight, and operation will be conducted by NASA
JPL.
• Mission Benefits
• May lead to more advantageous trajectory modelling for hyperbolic flyby use.
• May provide evidence for new physics, which in turn provide technological and economic growth.

8. REFERENCES
• Anderson, J. D., Campbell, J. K., Ekelund, J. E., Ellis, J., and Jordan, J. F., “Anomalous Orbital-Energy
Changes Observed during Spacecraft Flybys of Earth,” Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, No. 091102,
2008.
• Páramos, J., and Hechenblaikner, G., “Probing the Flyby Anomaly with the future STE-QUEST mission,”
Planetary and Space Science, Vol. 79-80, 2013, pp. 76-81.
• Young, S., “Flyby Anomaly Experiment,” University of Texas at Austin, Semester Project for ASE 374K
Systems Engineering.