  We describe a mission architecture designed to substantially increase the
science capability of the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics
Explorer Program for all AO proposers working within the near-UV to
far-infrared spectrum. We have demonstrated that augmentation of Falcon 9
Explorer launch services with a 13 kW Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) stage can
deliver a 700 kg science observatory payload to extra-Zodiacal orbit. This new
capability enables up to ~13X increased photometric sensitivity and ~160X
increased observing speed relative to a Sun-Earth L2, Earth-trailing, or Earth
orbit with no increase in telescope aperture. All enabling SEP stage
technologies for this launch service augmentation have reached sufficient
readiness (TRL-6) for Explorer Program application in conjunction with the
Falcon 9. We demonstrate that enabling Astrophysics Explorers to reach
extra-zodiacal orbit will allow this small payload program to rival the science
performance of much larger long development time systems; thus, providing a
means to realize major science objectives while increasing the SMD Astrophysics
portfolio diversity and resiliency to external budget pressure. The SEP
technology employed in this study has strong applicability to SMD Planetary
Science community-proposed missions. SEP is a stated flight demonstration
priority for NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT). This new mission
architecture for astrophysics Explorers enables an attractive realization of
joint goals for OCT and SMD with wide applicability across SMD science
disciplines.
