Ultra-Long Baseline Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry with the AMIGAS Multi-Spacecraft Concept

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry allows for the study of elemental, isotopic, and molecular composition from a mate-rial sample. The mass sensitivity and resolution of time-of-flight mass spectrometers increases with the length of the instrument, where increased sensitivity indicates increased ability to distin-guish between ions of similar masses. This indicates an inherent limit of traditional time-of-flight mass spectrometers designed as monolithic instruments for integration onboard a spacecraft: the length of the spectrometer, and therefore its sensitivity, is constrained by the form factor of the spacecraft. This paper motivates and presents a novel architecture for in-space mass spectrometry through the use of distinct, free-flying spacecraft that will be the subject of future research. The Advanced Mass Spectrometry in Gravity-Free Architectures (AMIGAS) concept aims to enable ultra-long baseline (10–100 m) time-of-flight mass spectrometry that could dramatically improve the sensitivity and resolution of in-space time-of-flight mass spectrometers to the point of detecting millidalton-level differences in atom or molecule mass. This paper presents the scientific motivation for why such a high sensitivity would be beneficial and explores the associated engineering constraints. A high-level overview of the AMIGAS concept is also provided along with anticipated challenges for practical implementation.