Cloudy with a Chance of Near-Earth Asteroids
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Orbit Options for an Orion-Class Spacecraft Mission to a Near-Earth Object
Orbit Options for an Orion-Class Spacecraft Mission to a Near-Earth Object by Nathan C. Shupe B.A., Swarthmore College, 2005 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences 2010 This thesis entitled: Orbit Options for an Orion-Class Spacecraft Mission to a Near-Earth Object written by Nathan C. Shupe has been approved for the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences Daniel Scheeres Prof. George Born Assoc. Prof. Hanspeter Schaub Date The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. iii Shupe, Nathan C. (M.S., Aerospace Engineering Sciences) Orbit Options for an Orion-Class Spacecraft Mission to a Near-Earth Object Thesis directed by Prof. Daniel Scheeres Based on the recommendations of the Augustine Commission, President Obama has pro- posed a vision for U.S. human spaceflight in the post-Shuttle era which includes a manned mission to a Near-Earth Object (NEO). A 2006-2007 study commissioned by the Constellation Program Advanced Projects Office investigated the feasibility of sending a crewed Orion spacecraft to a NEO using different combinations of elements from the latest launch system architecture at that time. The study found a number of suitable mission targets in the database of known NEOs, and pre- dicted that the number of candidate NEOs will continue to increase as more advanced observatories come online and execute more detailed surveys of the NEO population. -
Spacewalch Discovery of Near-Earth Asteroids Tom Gehrele Lunar End
N9 Spacewalch Discovery of Near-Earth Asteroids Tom Gehrele Lunar end Planetary Laboratory The University of Arizona Our overall scientific goal is to survey the solar system to completion -- that is, to find the various populations and to study their statistics, interrelations, and origins. The practical benefit to SERC is that we are finding Earth-approaching asteroids that are accessible for mining. Our system can detect Earth-approachers In the 1-km size range even when they are far away, and can detect smaller objects when they are moving rapidly past Earth. Until Spacewatch, the size range of 6 - 300 meters in diameter for the near-Earth asteroids was unexplored. This important region represents the transition between the meteorites and the larger observed near-Earth asteroids (Rabinowitz 1992). One of our Spacewatch discoveries, 1991 VG, may be representative of a new orbital class of object. If it is really a natural object, and not man-made, its orbital parameters are closer to those of the Earth than we have seen before; its delta V is the lowest of all objects known thus far (J. S. Lewis, personal communication 1992). We may expect new discoveries as we continue our surveying, with fine-tuning of the techniques. III-12 Introduction The data accumulated in the following tables are the result of continuing observation conducted as a part of the Spacewatch program. T. Gehrels is the Principal Investigator and also one of the three observers, with J.V. Scotti and D.L Rabinowitz, each observing six nights per month. R.S. McMillan has been Co-Principal Investigator of our CCD-scanning since its inception; he coordinates optical, mechanical, and electronic upgrades. -
Cubesats to the Moon | the Planetary Society
8/1/2019 CubeSats to the Moon | The Planetary Society Casey Dreier • September 2, 2015 CubeSats to the Moon An interview with the scientist behind NASA’s newest planetary exploration mission On Tuesday, NASA announced its selection of two CubeSats to ¼y beyond Earth as part of its Small, Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program. The CubeSats were limited to a total budget of $5.6 million (though they were encouraged to be cheaper), and will ride along on the ¹rst ¼ight of the Space Launch System (SLS) in 2018. They were competitively selected from a number of proposals submitted by the scienti¹c community. The Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) was one of the two missions selected. Led by 33-year-old planetary scientist Dr. Craig Hardgrove, a post- doctoral scholar at Arizona State University, it will attempt to map the distribution of water-ice over the south pole of the Moon at high resolutions. www.planetary.org/blogs/casey-dreier/2015/0902-cubesats-to-the-moon.html 1/11 8/1/2019 CubeSats to the Moon | The Planetary Society Sean Amidan / ASU / SpaceTREx LUNAR POLAR HYDROGEN MAPPER (LUNAH-MAP) Artist's concept of the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map), an Arizona State University-built CubeSat about the size of a shoebox that will be used to produce a map of the water resources on the Moon for future human exploration. I interviewed Dr. Hardgrove about his lunar CubeSat, how it came together, and how NASA’s support for small missions are important for early career scientists like himself. -
The Catalina Sky Survey
The Catalina Sky Survey Current Operaons and Future CapabiliKes Eric J. Christensen A. Boani, A. R. Gibbs, A. D. Grauer, R. E. Hill, J. A. Johnson, R. A. Kowalski, S. M. Larson, F. C. Shelly IAWN Steering CommiJee MeeKng. MPC, Boston, MA. Jan. 13-14 2014 Catalina Sky Survey • Supported by NASA NEOO Program • Based at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona • Leader of the NEO discovery effort since 2004, responsible for ~65% of new discoveries (~46% of all NEO discoveries). Currently discovering NEOs at a rate of ~600/year. • 2 survey telescopes run by a staff of 8 (observers, socware developers, engineering support, PI) Current FaciliKes Mt. Bigelow, AZ Mt. Lemmon, AZ 0.7-m Schmidt 1.5-m reflector 8.2 sq. deg. FOV 1.2 sq. deg. FOV Vlim ~ 19.5 Vlim ~ 21.3 ~250 NEOs/year ~350 NEOs/year ReKred FaciliKes Siding Spring Observatory, Australia 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt 4.2 sq. deg. FOV Vlim ~ 19.0 2004 – 2013 ~50 NEOs/year Was the only full-Kme NEO survey located in the Southern Hemisphere Notable discoveries include Great Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1), rediscovery of Apophis Upcoming FaciliKes Mt. Lemmon, AZ 1.0-m reflector 0.3 sq. deg. FOV 1.0 arcsec/pixel Operaonal 2014 – currently in commissioning Will be primarily used for confirmaon and follow-up of newly- discovered NEOs Will remove follow-up burden from CSS survey telescopes, increasing available survey Kme by 10-20% Increased FOV for both CSS survey telescopes 5.0 deg2 1.2 ~1,100/ G96 deg2 night 19.4 deg2 2 703 8.2 deg 2 ~4,300 deg per night New 10k x 10k cameras will increase the FOV of both survey telescopes by factors of 4x and 2.4x. -
For Immediate Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ASTRONAUTS, EXPERTS, AND SPACE AGENCIES DISCUSS ASTEROIDS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND RISKS ON ASTEROID DAY, 30 JUNE LUXEMBOURG, 22 June 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asteroid Foundation returns with Asteroid Day LIVE Digital from Luxembourg. This year, the event is a fully digital celebration of asteroid science and exploration. Panel discussions and one-on-one interviews with astronauts and world experts will be broadcast on 30 June 2020. Each year Asteroid Day presents the public with a snap-shot of cutting-edge asteroid research from the largest telescopes on Earth to some of the most ambitious space missions. Topics of discussion this year include the acceleration in the rate of our asteroid discoveries and why it is set to accelerate even faster, the imminent arrival of samples from asteroid Ryugu and Bennu, the exciting preparations for the joint US-Europe mission to binary asteroid Didymos, and much more. Asteroids are the leftover remnants of the birth of the planets in the Solar System, and many are the shattered fragments of these diminutive proto-planets that never made it to maturity. “Asteroid exploration missions tell us about the birth of our own planet and reveal how asteroids can serve astronauts as stepping stones to Mars,” says Tom Jones, PhD, veteran astronaut and planetary scientist, and Asteroid Day Expert Panel member. Each asteroid is an individual with its own story to tell. And that’s what Asteroid Day is all about: bringing those stories to the widest audience possible. “Space and science have been an endless source of inspiration for SES! This is one of the reasons why we and our partners continue to do extraordinary things in space to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth,” says Ruy Pinto, Chief Technology Officer at SES. -
(101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-Rex Imaging and Thermal Analysis
ARTICLES https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0731-1 Properties of rubble-pile asteroid (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx imaging and thermal analysis D. N. DellaGiustina 1,26*, J. P. Emery 2,26*, D. R. Golish1, B. Rozitis3, C. A. Bennett1, K. N. Burke 1, R.-L. Ballouz 1, K. J. Becker 1, P. R. Christensen4, C. Y. Drouet d’Aubigny1, V. E. Hamilton 5, D. C. Reuter6, B. Rizk 1, A. A. Simon6, E. Asphaug1, J. L. Bandfield 7, O. S. Barnouin 8, M. A. Barucci 9, E. B. Bierhaus10, R. P. Binzel11, W. F. Bottke5, N. E. Bowles12, H. Campins13, B. C. Clark7, B. E. Clark14, H. C. Connolly Jr. 15, M. G. Daly 16, J. de Leon 17, M. Delbo’18, J. D. P. Deshapriya9, C. M. Elder19, S. Fornasier9, C. W. Hergenrother1, E. S. Howell1, E. R. Jawin20, H. H. Kaplan5, T. R. Kareta 1, L. Le Corre 21, J.-Y. Li21, J. Licandro17, L. F. Lim6, P. Michel 18, J. Molaro21, M. C. Nolan 1, M. Pajola 22, M. Popescu 17, J. L. Rizos Garcia 17, A. Ryan18, S. R. Schwartz 1, N. Shultz1, M. A. Siegler21, P. H. Smith1, E. Tatsumi23, C. A. Thomas24, K. J. Walsh 5, C. W. V. Wolner1, X.-D. Zou21, D. S. Lauretta 1 and The OSIRIS-REx Team25 Establishing the abundance and physical properties of regolith and boulders on asteroids is crucial for understanding the for- mation and degradation mechanisms at work on their surfaces. Using images and thermal data from NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft, we show that asteroid (101955) Bennu’s surface is globally rough, dense with boulders, and low in albedo. -
Non-Principal Axis Rotation (Tumbling) Asteroids
NON-PRINCIPAL AXIS ROTATION (TUMBLING) ASTEROIDS Asteroid PAR Per1 Amp1 Per2 Amp2 Reference 244 Sita T0 129.51 0.82 0 129.51 0.82 Brinsfield, 09 253 Mathilde T 417.7 0.50 –3 417.7 0.45 250. Mottola, 95 –3 418. 0.5 250. Pravec, 05 288 Glauke T 1170. 0.9 –1 1200. 0.9 Harris, 99 0 Pravec, 14 –2 1170. 0.37 740. Pilcher, 15 299∗ Thora T– 272.9 0.50 0 274. 0.39 Pilcher, 14 +2 272.9 0.47 Pilcher, 17 319∗ Leona T 430. 0.5 –2 430. 0.5 1084. Pilcher, 17 341∗ California T 318. 0.92 –2 318. 0.9 250. Pilcher, 17 –2 317.0 0.54 Polakis, 17 –1 317.0 0.92 Polakis, 17 408 Fama T0 202.1 0.58 0 202.1 0.58 Stephens, 08 470 Kilia T0 290. 0.26 0 290. 0.26 Stephens, 09 0 Stephens, 09 496∗ Gryphia T 1072. 1.25 –2 1072. 1.25 Pilcher, 17 571 Dulcinea T 126.3 0.50 –2 126.3 0.50 Stephens, 11 630 Euphemia T0 350. 0.45 0 350. 0.45 Warner, 11 703∗ No¨emi T? 200. 0.78 –1 201.7 0.78 Noschese, 17 0 115.108 0.28 Sada, 17 –2 200. 0.62 Franco, 17 707 Ste¨ına T0 414. 1.00 0 Pravec, 14 763∗ Cupido T 151.5 0.45 –1 151.1 0.24 Polakis, 18 –2 151.5 0.45 101. Pilcher, 18 823 Sisigambis T0 146. -
An Overview of Hayabusa2 Mission and Asteroid 162173 Ryugu
Asteroid Science 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2189) 2086.pdf AN OVERVIEW OF HAYABUSA2 MISSION AND ASTEROID 162173 RYUGU. S. Watanabe1,2, M. Hira- bayashi3, N. Hirata4, N. Hirata5, M. Yoshikawa2, S. Tanaka2, S. Sugita6, K. Kitazato4, T. Okada2, N. Namiki7, S. Tachibana6,2, M. Arakawa5, H. Ikeda8, T. Morota6,1, K. Sugiura9,1, H. Kobayashi1, T. Saiki2, Y. Tsuda2, and Haya- busa2 Joint Science Team10, 1Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan ([email protected]), 2Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA, Japan, 3Auburn University, U.S.A., 4University of Aizu, Japan, 5Kobe University, Japan, 6University of Tokyo, Japan, 7National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Japan, 8Research and Development Directorate, JAXA, Japan, 9Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, 10Hayabusa2 Project Summary: The Hayabusa2 mission reveals the na- Combined with the rotational motion of the asteroid, ture of a carbonaceous asteroid through a combination global surveys of Ryugu were conducted several times of remote-sensing observations, in situ surface meas- from ~20 km above the sub-Earth point (SEP), includ- urements by rovers and a lander, an active impact ex- ing global mapping from ONC-T (Fig. 1) and TIR, and periment, and analyses of samples returned to Earth. scan mapping from NIRS3 and LIDAR. Descent ob- Introduction: Asteroids are fossils of planetesi- servations covering the equatorial zone were performed mals, building blocks of planetary formation. In partic- from 3-7 km altitudes above SEP. Off-SEP observa- ular carbonaceous asteroids (or C-complex asteroids) tions of the polar regions were also conducted. Based are expected to have keys identifying the material mix- on these observations, we constructed two types of the ing in the early Solar System and deciphering the global shape models (using the Structure-from-Motion origin of water and organic materials on Earth [1]. -
Impact Process of Boulders on the Surface of Asteroid 25143 Itokawa— Fragments from Collisional Disruption
Earth Planets Space, 60, 7–12, 2008 Impact process of boulders on the surface of asteroid 25143 Itokawa— fragments from collisional disruption A. M. Nakamura1, T. Michikami2, N. Hirata3, A. Fujiwara4, R. Nakamura5, M. Ishiguro6, H. Miyamoto7,8, H. Demura3, K. Hiraoka1, T. Honda1, C. Honda4, J. Saito9, T. Hashimoto4, and T. Kubota4 1Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan 2Fukushima National College of Technology, Iwaki, Fukushima 970-8034, Japan 3School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Aizu, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan 4Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan 5National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 306-8568, Japan 6Astronomy Department, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea 7The University Museum, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan 8Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA 9School of Engineering, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan (Received November 3, 2006; Revised March 29, 2007; Accepted April 11, 2007; Online published February 12, 2008) The subkilometer-size asteroid 25143 Itokawa is considered to have a gravitationally bounded rubble-pile structure. Boulders appearing in high-resolution images retrieved by the Hayabusa mission revealed the genuine outcome of the collisional event involving the asteroid’s parent body. Here we report that the boulders’ shapes and structures are strikingly similar to laboratory rock impact fragments despite differences of orders of magnitude in scale and complexities of the physical processes. These similarities suggest the universal character of the process throughout the range of these scales, and the brittle and structurally continuous nature regarding the parent body of the boulders. -
An Economic Analysis of Mars Exploration and Colonization Clayton Knappenberger Depauw University
DePauw University Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University Student research Student Work 2015 An Economic Analysis of Mars Exploration and Colonization Clayton Knappenberger DePauw University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.depauw.edu/studentresearch Part of the Economics Commons, and the The unS and the Solar System Commons Recommended Citation Knappenberger, Clayton, "An Economic Analysis of Mars Exploration and Colonization" (2015). Student research. Paper 28. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student research by an authorized administrator of Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An Economic Analysis of Mars Exploration and Colonization Clayton Knappenberger 2015 Sponsored by: Dr. Villinski Committee: Dr. Barreto and Dr. Brown Contents I. Why colonize Mars? ............................................................................................................................ 2 II. Can We Colonize Mars? .................................................................................................................... 11 III. What would it look like? ............................................................................................................... 16 A. National Program ......................................................................................................................... -
Topography of Large Craters and Equatorial Bulge of 162173 Ryugu
EPSC Abstracts Vol. 13, EPSC-DPS2019-1723-1, 2019 EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 c Author(s) 2019. CC Attribution 4.0 license. Topography of large craters and equatorial bulge of 162173 Ryugu Noriyuki Namiki (1,2), Takahide Mizuno (2,3), Hiroki Senshu (4), Hirotomo Noda (1,2), Koji Matsumoto (1,2), Naru Hirata (5), Ryuhei Yamada (5), Yoshiaki Ishihara (6), Hitoshi Ikeda (3), Hiroshi Araki (1,2), Keiko Yamamoto (1), Sinsuke Abe (7), Yousuke Masuda (7), Fumi Yoshida (4), Sho Sasaki (8), Shoko Oshigami (1), Makoto Shizugami (1), Arika Higuchi (1), Seiitsu Tsuruta (1), Kazuyoshi Asari (1), Toshimichi Otsubo (9), Naoyuki Hirata (10), Fuyuto Terui (3), Teiji Kase (11), Katsunori Mayuzumi (11), Sei-ichiro Watanabe (12), Takanao Saiki (3), Satoru Nakazawa (3), Makoto Yoshikawa (3), and Yuichi Tsuda (3) (1) National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Japan, (2) SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Japan, (3) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan, (4) Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan, (5) The University of Aizu, Japan, (6) National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan, (7) Nihon University, Japan, (8) Osaka University, Japan, (9) Hitotsubashi University, Japan, (10) Kobe University, Japan, (11) NEC Corporation, Japan, (12) Nagoya University, Japan ([email protected]) Abstract Lutetia, and Bennu which was recently visited by OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Hayabusa2 Laser Altimeter (LIDAR) conducted two- dimensional scanning observation of the equatorial Ryugu is the second asteroid whose topography is band of asteroid, 162173 Ryugu on Oct. 30, 2018 to measured accurately by laser altimeter (LIDAR) [5] obtain detailed topography data. -
Direct Fusion Drive Rocket for Asteroid Deflection
Direct Fusion Drive Rocket for Asteroid Deflection IEPC-2013-296 Presented at the 33rd International Electric Propulsion Conference, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA October 6{10, 2013 Joseph B. Mueller∗ and Yosef S. Raziny and Michael A. Paluszek z and Amanda J. Knutson x and Gary Pajer { Princeton Satellite Systems, 6 Market St, Suite 926, Plainsboro, NJ, 08536, USA Samuel A. Cohenk Plasma Physics Laboratory, 100 Stellarator Road, Princeton, NJ, 08540 and Allan H. Glasser∗∗ University of Washington, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Guggenheim Hall, Seattle, WA 98195 Traditional thinking presumes that planetary defense is only achievable with years of warning, so that a mission can launch in time to deflect the asteroid. However, the danger posed by hard-to-detect small meteors was dramatically demonstrated by the 20 meter Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013 with the force of 440 kilotons of TNT. A 5-MW Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) engine allows rockets to rapidly reach threaten- ing asteroids that and deflect them using clean burning deuterium-helium-3 fuel, a compact field-reversed configuration, and heated by odd-parity rotating magnetic fields. This paper presents the latest development of the DFD rocket engine based on recent simulations and experiments as well as calculations for an asteroid deflection envelope and a mission plan to deflect an Apophis-type asteroid given just one year of warning. Armed with this new defense technology, we will finally have achieved a vital capability for ensuring our planet's safety from impact threats. ∗Senior Technical Staff, [email protected].