DOCSLIB.ORG

Planetary Science Division Status Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Planetary Science Division Status Report Planetary Science Division Status Report Jim Green NASA, Planetary Science Division June 12, 2017 Presentation at SBAG Planetary Science Missions Events 2016 March – Launch of ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter * Completed July 4 – Juno inserted in Jupiter orbit September 8 – Launch of Asteroid mission OSIRIS – REx to asteroid Bennu September 30 – Landing Rosetta on comet CG October 19 – ExoMars EDM landing and TGO orbit insertion 2017 January 4 – Discovery Mission selection announced February 9-20 - OSIRIS-REx began Earth-Trojan search April 22 – Cassini begins plane change maneuver for the “Grand Finale” August 21 – Total Solar Eclipse across the US September 15 – Cassini crashes into Saturn – end of mission September 22 – OSIRIS-REx Earth flyby 2018 May 5 - Launch InSight mission to Mars August – OSIRIS-REx arrival at Bennu October – Launch of ESA’s BepiColombo November 26 – InSight landing on Mars 2019 January 1 – New Horizons flyby of Kuiper Belt object 2014MU69 https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/subject-matter-experts Discovery Program Discovery Program NEO characteristics: Mars evolution: Lunar formation: Nature of dust/coma: Solar wind sampling: NEAR (1996-1999) Mars Pathfinder (1996-1997) Lunar Prospector (1998-1999) Stardust (1999-2011) Genesis (2001-2004) Comet diversity: Mercury environment: Comet internal structure: Lunar Internal Structure Main-belt asteroids: CONTOUR (2002) MESSENGER (2004-2015) Deep Impact (2005-2012) GRAIL (2011-2012) Dawn (2007-TBD) Exoplanets Lunar surface: ESA/Mercury Surface: Mars Interior: Trojan Asteroids: Metal Asteroids: Kepler (2009-TBD) LRO (2009-TBD) Strofio (2017-TBD) InSight (2018) Lucy (2021) Psyche (2022) NEW Discovery Missions Launch in 2022 Launch in 2021 14 JAXA: Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission • Phobos sample return, Deimos multi-flyby • Launch 2024, Return sample in 2029 or 2030 • NASA to provide (pending formal agreement) a neutron & gamma-ray spectrometer (NGRS) • Proposals for NGRS instrument solicited through Stand-Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3). • Proposals due June 20, 2017. • NASA & JAXA continue to discuss additional roles and mission responsibilities New Frontiers Program New Frontiers Program 1st NF mission 2nd NF mission 3rd NF mission New Horizons: Juno: OSIRIS-REx: Pluto-Kuiper Belt Jupiter Polar Orbiter Asteroid Sample Return Launched January 2006 Launched August 2011 Launched September 2016 Flyby July 14, 2015 Arrived July 4, 2016 PI: Dante Lauretta (UA) PI: Alan Stern (SwRI-CO) PI: Scott Bolton (SwRI-TX) New Horizons MU69 Next KBO Target Flyby January 1, 2019 NASA, NH team, and the IAU Will be working together to Name MU69 this year. More Details to Follow. Stellar Occultation of MU69 MU69 Distant Star Earth June 3, 2017 July 10, 2017 July 17, 2017 Juno reveals Jupiter’s Surprising Poles • Juno has been in orbit since July 4, 2016 – first fully analyzed science results are now being published of which this is one example • Unprecedented view of Jupiter’s poles - doesn’t look like equatorial view of bands and belts • Colors stretched to emphasis details but the blue hue is real • Cyclones nearly the size of the Earth are the dominate structure • Huge circumpolar cyclones suggest numerous science mysteries • What are their formation mechanisms? • Is this situation stable on long timescales or are we seeing a brief snapshot in time? Reference: Bolton et al., Science, 2017 Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Betsy Asher Hall/Gervasio Robles • Why do the north and south poles have different numbers of storms? Image processed by citizen scientists who used raw • Why are Jupiter’s poles different than data to produce a more aesthetically pleasing image. Earth’s and Saturn’s? OSIRIS-REx • Return and analyze a sample of Bennu’s surface • Map the asteroid & document the sample site • Measure the Yarkovsky effect Launched Sept 2016 OSIRIS-REx Mission Highlights • February 9-20 - First Science Results: Earth- Trojan Asteroid Search • Approx. two-week survey of L4 Region • Excellent rehearsal for science and ops teams • No new Trojans discovered; Imaged Jupiter and four of its moons, plus 17 Main Belt asteroids • Camera performance better than expected – imaging up to two magnitudes fainter than anticipated • March - Six-month instrument calibration and check-out complete; all instruments nominal • March 6 - Spacecraft reached furthest distance from Earth prior to Earth Gravity Assist (126 million km) and began returning for flyby on September 22 New Frontiers 4 AO Investigations (listed without priority): – Comet Surface Sample Return – Lunar South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return – Ocean Worlds (Titan, Enceladus) – Saturn Probe – Trojan Tour and Rendezvous – Venus In Situ Explorer 12 Proposals received on …................................ April 28, 2017 Step-1 Selections Announced (target).............. November 2017 Phase A Concept Study Reports due................. December 2018 Downselection for Flight (target)...................... July 2019 (target) Launch Readiness Date..................................... NLT Dec. 31, 2025 Mars Exploration Program Mars 2020 Landing Site Workshop Final Mars 2020 Candidate Landing Sites Final site selection targeted for end of 2018 COLUMBIA HILLS • Ancient hot springs of carbonate, sulfate, and silica-rich material • Potential biosignatures identified • Previously explored by NE SYRTIS Spirit rover • Extremely ancient volcanic and hydrothermal JEZERO environments • Ancient lava and water • Large diversity of hydrated deposition region minerals • Evidence for hydrous and • Potential subsurface clay minerals habitability 21 Outer Planets Program Cassini’s Final Orbits April 22 – Cassini began the “Grand Finale” September 15 – Cassini crashes into Saturn Saturn’s Small Bodies Pan A ring Encke Gap A ring Europa Clipper Overview • Conduct ~45 low altitude flybys with lowest 25 km (less than the ice crust) and a vast majority below 100 km to obtain global regional coverage • KDP-C scheduled: October 2018 Science Objective Description Ice Shell & Characterize the ice shell and any subsurface water, including their Ocean heterogeneity, and the nature of surface-ice-ocean exchange Understand the habitability of Europa's ocean through composition Composition and chemistry. Understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent Geology or current activity, and characterize high science interest localities. Characterize scientifically compelling sites, and hazards for a potential Recon future landed mission to Europa Planetary Defense Coordination Office PDCO Status Report • 16,188 near-Earth asteroids discovered as of June 3, 2017, by NEO surveys, led by Catalina Sky Survey and Pan-STARRS and followed up by numerous projects • Setting a new record with 1,888 NEAs discovered in 2016 • NEOWISE continues in extended mission • Ground-based characterization continues • Increased IAWN signatories to eight nations/international entities • Held third NASA-FEMA Table Top Exercise with FEMA Region 9 in Los Angeles and follow- on communications exercise with FEMA-NASA HQs public communications officers • NASA Policy Directive approved for Notification and Communications Regarding Potential Near-Earth Object Threats • Established Interagency Working Group for Detecting and Mitigating Impacts of Earth- bound NEOs (DAMIEN) with Office of Science & Technology Policy • DAMIEN published the White House National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy • Convened the NEO Science Definition Team to update 2003 NEO Report – report in final stages of completion • Organizing a campaign to recover and characterize 2012 TC4 this year as a way to exercise the planetary defense system PDCO Mission Projects NEOCam: Near-Earth Object Camera • Selected by Discovery Program for an extended Phase A effort for FY17 to define as planetary defense mission • Delta MCR scheduled for June 26 DART: Double Asteroid Redirection Test • KDP-B decision memo in signature process • Congressional funding via NEOO Program through FY17 Upcoming Opportunities And SSERVI Selections Congratulations to the New SSERVI Teams Jack Burns, Thomas University Orlando, of Colorado Georgia Tech Boulder Amanda Hendrix, Alex Parker, SwRI Boulder Planetary Science Institute Role of Small Bodies Our Most Recent Missions 1. Formation of larger bodies in the Solar System – New Horizons flyby of MU69, Dawn at Vesta, Psyche 2. Tracers in the evolution of the Solar System – New Horizons, Dawn at Ceres, MMX, NEO Survey 3. Delivery of elements to initiate and sustain life – ANSMET, OSIRIS-REx, Hayabusa-2 4. Processes in an evolving Solar System – New Horizons, Rosetta 5. Hazards to life and human population – NEOWISE, NEO Survey, NEO Radar observations, DART 6. Resources for exploration and habitation into the future – ANSMET/characterization, ISRU studies, Commercial ventures Questions? Image by john doe Mike has made a lasting impact to our science. Photo: Ball Aerospace .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Messenger
    10th anniversary of VLT First Light The Messenger The ground layer seeing on Paranal HAWK-I Science Verification The emission nebula around Antares No. 132 – June 2008 –June 132 No. The Organisation The Perfect Machine Tim de Zeeuw a ground­based spectroscopic comple­ thousand each semester, 800 of which (ESO Director General) ment to the Hubble Space Telescope. are for Paranal. The User Portal has Italy and Switzerland had joined ESO in about 4 000 registered users and 1981, enabling the construction of the the archive contains 74 TB of data and This issue of the Messenger marks the 3.5­m New Technology Telescope with advanced data products. tenth anniversary of first light of the Very pioneering advances in active optics, Large Telescope. It is an excellent occa­ crucial for the next step: the construction sion to look at the broader implications of the Very Large Telescope, which Winning strategy of the VLT’s success and to consider the received the green light from Council in next steps. 1987 and was built on Cerro Paranal in The VLT opened for business some five the Atacama desert between Antofagasta years after the Keck telescopes, but the and Taltal in Northern Chile. The 8.1­m decision to take the time to build a fully Mission Gemini telescopes and the 8.3­m Subaru integrated system, consisting of four telescope were constructed on a similar 8.2­m telescopes and providing a dozen ESO’s mission is to enable scientific dis­ time scale, while the Large Binocular Tele­ foci for a carefully thought­out comple­ coveries by constructing and operating scope and the Gran Telescopio Canarias ment of instruments together with four powerful observational facilities that are now starting operations.
    [Show full text]
  • Planetary Science Division Status Report
    Planetary Science Division Status Report Jim Green NASA, Planetary Science Division January 26, 2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory CommiBee Outline • Planetary Science ObjecFves • Missions and Events Overview • Flight Programs: – Discovery – New FronFers – Mars Programs – Outer Planets • Planetary Defense AcFviFes • R&A Overview • Educaon and Outreach AcFviFes • PSD Budget Overview New Horizons exploresPlanetary Science Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Ascertain the content, origin, and evoluFon of the Solar System and the potenFal for life elsewhere! 01/08/2016 As the highest resolution images continue to beam back from New Horizons, the mission is onto exploring Kuiper Belt Objects with the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) camera from unique viewing angles not visible from Earth. New Horizons is also beginning maneuvers to be able to swing close by a Kuiper Belt Object in the next year. Giant IcebergsObjecve 1.5.1 (water blocks) floatingObjecve 1.5.2 in glaciers of Objecve 1.5.3 Objecve 1.5.4 Objecve 1.5.5 hydrogen, mDemonstrate ethane, and other frozenDemonstrate progress gasses on the Demonstrate Sublimation pitsDemonstrate from the surface ofDemonstrate progress Pluto, potentially surface of Pluto.progress in in exploring and progress in showing a geologicallyprogress in improving active surface.in idenFfying and advancing the observing the objects exploring and understanding of the characterizing objects The Newunderstanding of Horizons missionin the Solar System to and the finding locaons origin and evoluFon in the Solar System explorationhow the chemical of Pluto wereunderstand how they voted the where life could of life on Earth to that pose threats to and physical formed and evolve have existed or guide the search for Earth or offer People’sprocesses in the Choice for Breakthrough of thecould exist today life elsewhere resources for human Year forSolar System 2015 by Science Magazine as exploraon operate, interact well as theand evolve top story of 2015 by Discover Magazine.
    [Show full text]
  • A Ballistics Analysis of the Deep Impact Ejecta Plume: Determining Comet Tempel 1’S Gravity, Mass, and Density
    Icarus 190 (2007) 357–390 www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus A ballistics analysis of the Deep Impact ejecta plume: Determining Comet Tempel 1’s gravity, mass, and density James E. Richardson a,∗,H.JayMeloshb, Carey M. Lisse c, Brian Carcich d a Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA b Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USA c Planetary Exploration Group, Space Department, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USA d Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA Received 31 March 2006; revised 8 August 2007 Available online 15 August 2007 Abstract − In July of 2005, the Deep Impact mission collided a 366 kg impactor with the nucleus of Comet 9P/Tempel 1, at a closing speed of 10.2 km s 1. In this work, we develop a first-order, three-dimensional, forward model of the ejecta plume behavior resulting from this cratering event, and then adjust the model parameters to match the flyby-spacecraft observations of the actual ejecta plume, image by image. This modeling exercise indicates Deep Impact to have been a reasonably “well-behaved” oblique impact, in which the impactor–spacecraft apparently struck a small, westward-facing slope of roughly 1/3–1/2 the size of the final crater produced (determined from initial ejecta plume geometry), and possessing an effective strength of not more than Y¯ = 1–10 kPa. The resulting ejecta plume followed well-established scaling relationships for cratering in a medium-to-high porosity target, consistent with a transient crater of not more than 85–140 m diameter, formed in not more than 250–550 s, for the case of Y¯ = 0 Pa (gravity-dominated cratering); and not less than 22–26 m diameter, formed in not less than 1–3 s, for the case of Y¯ = 10 kPa (strength-dominated cratering).
    [Show full text]
  • Stardust Sample Return
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Stardust Sample Return Press Kit January 2006 www.nasa.gov Contacts Merrilee Fellows Policy/Program Management (818) 393-0754 NASA Headquarters, Washington DC Agle Stardust Mission (818) 393-9011 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Vince Stricherz Science Investigation (206) 543-2580 University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. Contents General Release ............................................................................................................... 3 Media Services Information ……………………….................…………….................……. 5 Quick Facts …………………………………………..................………....…........…....….. 6 Mission Overview …………………………………….................……….....……............…… 7 Recovery Timeline ................................................................................................ 18 Spacecraft ………………………………………………..................…..……...........……… 20 Science Objectives …………………………………..................……………...…..........….. 28 Why Stardust?..................…………………………..................………….....………............... 31 Other Comet Missions .......................................................................................... 33 NASA's Discovery Program .................................................................................. 36 Program/Project Management …………………………........................…..…..………...... 40 1 2 GENERAL RELEASE: NASA PREPARES FOR RETURN OF INTERSTELLAR CARGO NASA’s Stardust mission is nearing Earth after a 2.88 billion mile round-trip journey
    [Show full text]
  • An Artificial Impact on the Asteroid (162173) Ryugu Formed a Crater in the Gravity-Dominated Regime M
    An artificial impact on the asteroid (162173) Ryugu formed a crater in the gravity-dominated regime M. Arakawa, T. Saiki, K. Wada, K. Ogawa, T. Kadono, K. Shirai, H. Sawada, K. Ishibashi, R. Honda, N. Sakatani, et al. To cite this version: M. Arakawa, T. Saiki, K. Wada, K. Ogawa, T. Kadono, et al.. An artificial impact on the asteroid (162173) Ryugu formed a crater in the gravity-dominated regime. Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2020, 368 (6486), pp.67-71. 10.1126/science.aaz1701. hal-02986191 HAL Id: hal-02986191 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02986191 Submitted on 7 Jan 2021 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Submitted Manuscript Title: An artificial impact on the asteroid 162173 Ryugu formed a crater in the gravity-dominated regime Authors: M. Arakawa1*, T. Saiki2, K. Wada3, K. Ogawa21,1, T. Kadono4, K. Shirai2,1, H. Sawada2, K. Ishibashi3, R. Honda5, N. Sakatani2, Y. Iijima2§, C. Okamoto1§, H. Yano2, Y. 5 Takagi6, M. Hayakawa2, P. Michel7, M. Jutzi8, Y. Shimaki2, S. Kimura9, Y. Mimasu2, T. Toda2, H. Imamura2, S. Nakazawa2, H. Hayakawa2, S.
    [Show full text]
  • Updated Inflight Calibration of Hayabusa2's Optical Navigation Camera (ONC) for Scientific Observations During the C
    Updated Inflight Calibration of Hayabusa2’s Optical Navigation Camera (ONC) for Scientific Observations during the Cruise Phase Eri Tatsumi1 Toru Kouyama2 Hidehiko Suzuki3 Manabu Yamada 4 Naoya Sakatani5 Shingo Kameda6 Yasuhiro Yokota5,7 Rie Honda7 Tomokatsu Morota8 Keiichi Moroi6 Naoya Tanabe1 Hiroaki Kamiyoshihara1 Marika Ishida6 Kazuo Yoshioka9 Hiroyuki Sato5 Chikatoshi Honda10 Masahiko Hayakawa5 Kohei Kitazato10 Hirotaka Sawada5 Seiji Sugita1,11 1 Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan 2 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan 3 Meiji University, Kanagawa, Japan 4 Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, Chiba, Japan 5 Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan 6 Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan 7 Kochi University, Kochi, Japan 8 Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan 9 Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan 10 The University of Aizu, Fukushima, Japan 11 Research Center of the Early Universe, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan 6105552364 Abstract The Optical Navigation Camera (ONC-T, ONC-W1, ONC-W2) onboard Hayabusa2 are also being used for scientific observations of the mission target, C-complex asteroid 162173 Ryugu. Science observations and analyses require rigorous instrument calibration. In order to meet this requirement, we have conducted extensive inflight observations during the 3.5 years of cruise after the launch of Hayabusa2 on 3 December 2014. In addition to the first inflight calibrations by Suzuki et al. (2018), we conducted an additional series of calibrations, including read- out smear, electronic-interference noise, bias, dark current, hot pixels, sensitivity, linearity, flat-field, and stray light measurements for the ONC.
    [Show full text]
  • (OSIRIS-Rex) Asteroid Sample Return Mission
    Planetary Defense Conference 2013 IAA-PDC13-04-16 Trajectory and Mission Design for the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) Asteroid Sample Return Mission Mark Beckmana,1, Brent W. Barbeea,2,∗, Bobby G. Williamsb,3, Ken Williamsb,4, Brian Sutterc,5, Kevin Berrya,2 aNASA/GSFC, Code 595, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA bKinetX Aerospace, Inc., 21 W. Easy St., Suite 108, Simi Valley, CA 93065, USA cLockheed Martin Space Systems Company, PO Box 179, Denver CO, 80201, MS S8110, USA Abstract The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission is a NASA New Frontiers mission launching in 2016 to rendezvous with near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 101955 (1999 RQ36) in 2018, study it, and return a pristine carbonaceous regolith sample in 2023. This mission to 1999 RQ36 is motivated by the fact that it is one of the most hazardous NEAs currently known in terms of Earth collision probability, and it is also an attractive science target because it is a primitive solar system body and relatively accessible in terms of spacecraft propellant requirements. In this paper we present an overview of the design of the OSIRIS-REx mission with an emphasis on trajectory design and optimization for rendezvous with the asteroid and return to Earth following regolith sample collection. Current results from the OSIRIS-REx Flight Dynamics Team are presented for optimized primary and backup mission launch windows. Keywords: interplanetary trajectory, trajectory optimization, gravity assist, mission design, sample return, asteroid 1. Introduction The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission is a NASA New Frontiers mission launching in 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sky This Month – Oct 11 to Nov 15, 2017 (Times in EDT & EST) by Chris Vaughan
    RASC Toronto Centre – www.rascto.ca The Sky This Month – Oct 11 to Nov 15, 2017 (times in EDT & EST) by Chris Vaughan NEWS Space Exploration – Public and Private Ref. http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ Launches Oct 11 at Approx. 6:53-8:53 pm EDT - A SpaceX Falcon 9 (re-used) rocket from Kennedy Space Center, payload SES-11/EchoStar 105 hybrid comsat. TBD - United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, classified payload for U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. Oct 12 at 5:32 am EDT - Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, payload 68th Progress cargo delivery to the ISS. Oct 13 at 5:27 am EDT - Eurockot Rockot from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia, payload Sentinel 5 Precursor Earth obs sat for ESA (measures atmospheric air quality, ozone, pollution and aerosols). Oct 17 at 5:37 pm EDT - Minotaur-C rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, payload six SkySat Earth obs sats and CubeSats. Oct 30 at 3:34-5:58 pm EDT - Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, payload Koreasat 5A comsat. Nov 7 at 8:42:30 pm EST - Arianespace Vega rocket from ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana, payload MN35-13 Earth obs sat for Morocco. Nov 10 at 4:47:03-4:48:05 am EST - United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, payload 1st spacecraft in NOAA’s next-gen Joint Polar Satellite Weather Sat System. Nov 10 at 8:02 am EST - Orbital ATK Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia, payload 9th Cygnus cargo freighter delivery flight to the ISS.
    [Show full text]
  • Dawn Mission to Vesta and Ceres Symbiosis Between Terrestrial Observations and Robotic Exploration
    Earth Moon Planet (2007) 101:65–91 DOI 10.1007/s11038-007-9151-9 Dawn Mission to Vesta and Ceres Symbiosis between Terrestrial Observations and Robotic Exploration C. T. Russell Æ F. Capaccioni Æ A. Coradini Æ M. C. De Sanctis Æ W. C. Feldman Æ R. Jaumann Æ H. U. Keller Æ T. B. McCord Æ L. A. McFadden Æ S. Mottola Æ C. M. Pieters Æ T. H. Prettyman Æ C. A. Raymond Æ M. V. Sykes Æ D. E. Smith Æ M. T. Zuber Received: 21 August 2007 / Accepted: 22 August 2007 / Published online: 14 September 2007 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007 Abstract The initial exploration of any planetary object requires a careful mission design guided by our knowledge of that object as gained by terrestrial observers. This process is very evident in the development of the Dawn mission to the minor planets 1 Ceres and 4 Vesta. This mission was designed to verify the basaltic nature of Vesta inferred both from its reflectance spectrum and from the composition of the howardite, eucrite and diogenite meteorites believed to have originated on Vesta. Hubble Space Telescope observations have determined Vesta’s size and shape, which, together with masses inferred from gravitational perturbations, have provided estimates of its density. These investigations have enabled the Dawn team to choose the appropriate instrumentation and to design its orbital operations at Vesta. Until recently Ceres has remained more of an enigma. Adaptive-optics and HST observations now have provided data from which we can begin C. T. Russell (&) IGPP & ESS, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, USA e-mail: [email protected] F.
    [Show full text]
  • Revisitfrom2012
    A Revisit From Near-Earth Object (NEO) 2012 TC4 Eight days after its discovery, near-Earth object (NEO) 2012 TC4 approached our planet to within 95,000 km, or 25% of the Moon's distance, when it reached perigee at 05:29 UT on 12 October 2012. In this close flyby, 2012 TC4 crossed Earth's orbit travelling inbound toward perihelion on 25.0 November 2012 UT, when it was about 91% of our distance from the Sun. Even in the Earth's night sky before perigee, 2012 TC4 was difficult to observe. Its absolute magnitude H = 26.525 placed its diameter somewhere in the 7.5-30 m range, depending on its unknown surface reflectivity, making observations possible only at very close range. Upon entering Earth's daytime sky as it passed through perigee, 2012 TC4's orbit condition code (OCC) stood at 4 thanks to 281 visible light telescopic observations spanning a 7-day arc. At OCC = 4, 2012 TC4 along-track heliocentric position uncertainty would increase at rates up to 382 arc- seconds per decade.1 Predicted position precision, together with knowledge of 2012 TC4's size and shape, can be vastly improved with radar observations. Although observations were attempted with the Goldstone, California DSS-14 planetary radar in 2012, no echoes were obtained before pointing uncertainties quickly exceeded the precision required to detect 2012 TC4. As it was lost to further observations in 2012, Earth gravity perturbations to 2012 TC4 had increased the NEO's heliocentric orbit period from 1.455 years to 1.667 years.
    [Show full text]
  • CLEO/P Assessment of a Jovian Moon Flyby Mission As Part of NASA Clipper Mission
    CDF STUDY REPORT CLEO/P Assessment of a Jovian Moon Flyby Mission as Part of NASA Clipper Mission CDF-154(D)Public April 2015 CLEO/P CDF Study Report: CDF-154(D) Public April 2015 page 1 of 198 CDF Study Report CLEO/P Assessment of a Jovian Moon Flyby Mission as Part of NASA Clipper Mission ESA UNCLASSIFIED – Releasable to the Public CLEO/P CDF Study Report: CDF-154(D) Public April 2015 page 2 of 198 FRONT COVER Study logo showing Orbiter and Jupiter with Moon ESA UNCLASSIFIED – Releasable to the Public CLEO/P CDF Study Report: CDF-154(D) Public April 2015 page 3 of 198 STUDY TEAM This study was performed in the ESTEC Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) by the following interdisciplinary team: TEAM LEADER R. Biesbroek, TEC-SYE AOGNC PAYLOAD COMMUNICATIONS POWER CONFIGURATION PROGRAMMATICS/ AIV COST PROPULSION RADIATION RISK DATA HANDLING SIMULATION GS&OPS STRUCTURES MISSION ANALYSIS SYSTEMS MECHANISMS THERMAL ESA UNCLASSIFIED – Releasable to the Public CLEO/P CDF Study Report: CDF-154(D) Public April 2015 page 4 of 198 This study is based on the ESA CDF Integrated Design Model (IDM), which is copyright 2004 – 2014 by ESA. All rights reserved. Further information and/or additional copies of the report can be requested from: T. Voirin ESA/ESTEC/SRE-FMP Postbus 299 2200 AG Noordwijk The Netherlands Tel: +31-(0)71-5653419 Fax: +31-(0)71-5654295 [email protected] For further information on the Concurrent Design Facility please contact: M. Bandecchi ESA/ESTEC/TEC-SYE Postbus 299 2200 AG Noordwijk The Netherlands Tel: +31-(0)71-5653701 Fax: +31-(0)71-5656024 [email protected] ESA UNCLASSIFIED – Releasable to the Public CLEO/P CDF Study Report: CDF-154(D) Public April 2015 page 5 of 198 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Planetary Science Update
    Planetary Science Division Status Report Jim Green NASA, Planetary Science Division October 11, 2017 Presentation at LEAG Planetary Science Missions Events 2016 March – Launch of ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter July 4 – Juno inserted in Jupiter orbit * Completed September 8 – Launch of Asteroid mission OSIRIS – REx to asteroid Bennu September 30 – Landing Rosetta on comet CG October 19 – ExoMars EDM landing and TGO orbit insertion 2017 January 4 – Discovery Mission selection announced February 9-20 - OSIRIS-REx began Earth-Trojan search April 22 – Cassini begins plane change maneuver for the “Grand Finale” August 22 – Solar Eclipse across America September 15 – Cassini end of mission at Saturn September 22 – OSIRIS-REx Earth flyby October 28 – International Observe the Moon night (1st quarter) 2018 May 5 - Launch InSight mission to Mars August – OSIRIS-REx arrival at Bennu October – Launch of ESA’s BepiColombo to Mercury November 26 – InSight landing on Mars 2019 January 1 – New Horizons flyby of Kuiper Belt object 2014MU69 Formulation Implementation Primary Ops BepiColombo Lunar Extended Ops (ESA) Reconnaissance Orbiter Lucy New Horizons Psyche Juno Dawn JUICE (ESA) ExoMars 2016 MMX MAVEN MRO (ESA) (JAXA) Mars Express Mars (ESA) Odyssey OSIRIS-REx ExoMars 2020 (ESA) Mars Rover Opportunity Curiosity InSight 2020 Rover Rover NEOWISE Europa Clipper Discovery Program Discovery Program NEO characteristics: Mars evolution: Lunar formation: Nature of dust/coma: Solar wind sampling: NEAR (1996-1999) Mars Pathfinder (1996-1997) Lunar Prospector
    [Show full text]