Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission: Robotic Boulder Capture Option Overview

Mazanek, Daniel D.; Merrill, Raymond G.; Belbin, Scott P.; Reeves, David M.; Earle, Kevin; Naasz, Bo J.; Abell, P. A.

doi:10.2514/6.2014-4432

Cited by 30 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…As the design results of ARM-Option-B, the design includes 2 capture arms and 3 contact arms. The 2 capture arms are used to fix the spacecraft to the rock, and the 3 contact arms are designed to absorb the momentum of the spacecraft using electrically driven linear actuators 37 . The actuators are selected from the Mars Exploration Rover (MER), and this landing method can prevent regolith and dust from being disturbed and settling on the solar arrays, optics, and other sensitive equipment 38 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Kinetic Impactor for Deflecting Large Potentially Hazardous Asteroids via Maneuvering Space Rocks

Wang

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Asteroid impacts pose a major threat to all life on Earth. The age of the dinosaurs was abruptly ended by a 10-km-diameter asteroid. Currently, a nuclear device is the only means of deflecting large Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) away from an Earth-impacting trajectory. The Enhanced Kinetic Impactor (EKI) concept is proposed to deflect large PHAs via maneuvering space rocks. First, an unmanned spacecraft is launched to rendezvous with an intermediate Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA). Then, more than one hundred tons of rocks are collected from the NEA as the EKI. The NEA can also be captured as the EKI if the NEA is very small. Finally, the EKI is maneuvered to impact the PHA at a high speed, resulting in a significant deflection of the PHA. For example, to deflect Apophis, as much as 200 t of rocks could be collected from a NEA as the EKI based on existing engineering capabilities. The EKI can produce a velocity increment (∆v) of 39.81 mm/s in Apophis, thereby increasing the minimum geocentric distance during the close encounter in 2029 by 1,866.93 km. This mission can be completed in 3.96 years with a propellant cost of 2.98 t. Compared with a classic kinetic impactor, the deflection distance can be increased one order of magnitude. The EKI concept breaks through the limitation of the ground-based launch capability, which can significantly increase the mass of the impactor. We anticipate that our research will be a starting point for efficient planetary defense against large PHAs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Kinetic Impactor for Deflecting Large Potentially Hazardous Asteroids via Maneuvering Space Rocks

Wang

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…IBD uses a beam of quasi-neutral plasma from the electric propulsion system to impinge upon the asteroid's surface to create a force and/or a torque on the target. Option B is currently focusing on demonstrating EGT operations by using the combined mass of the spacecraft and captured boulder to gravitationally deflect the host asteroid, which will actually be in the potentially hazardous size range [10].…”

Section: Robotic Mission Concepts and Tradesmentioning

confidence: 99%

NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission concept development summary

Gates¹,

Muirhead

Naasz

et al. 2015

2015 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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This paper summarizes key findings of Asteroid Redirect Mission pre-formulation concept development efforts, including mission architecture and design drivers, flight system concepts and trades, advanced solar electric propulsion component and system options, and asteroid capture option trades and risk reduction efforts. This paper also provides a summary of concept development findings with a focus on extensibility to future mission applications and risk reduction and early testing of astronaut extra-vehicular activities.

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“…The design and estimated mass of 500 kg was based on utilization of robotic arm technology derived from an asteroid redirect mission [25]. The landing legs were also considered potentially evolvable to PEV mobility systems on Phobos or Mars [26].…”

Section: Phobos Distant Retrograde Orbitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human exploration of Phobos

Abercromby

Gernhardt

Chappell

et al. 2015

2015 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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This study developed, analyzed, and compared mission architectures for human exploration of Mars' moons within the context of an Evolvable Mars Campaign. METHODS: All trades assumed conjunction class missions to Phobos (approximately 500 days in Mars system) as it was considered the driving case for the transportation architecture. All architectures assumed that the Mars transit habitat would remain in a high-Mars orbit (HMO) with crewmembers transferring between HMO and Phobos in a small crew taxi vehicle. A reference science/exploration program was developed including performance of a standard set of tasks at 55 locations on the Phobos surface. Detailed EVA timelines were developed using realistic flight rules to accomplish the reference science tasks using exploration systems ranging from jetpacks to multi-person pressurized excursion vehicles combined with Phobos surface and orbital (L1, L4/L5, 20 km distant-retrograde-orbit [DRO]) habitat options. Detailed models of propellant mass, crew time, science productivity, radiation exposure, systems and consumables masses, and other figures of merit were integrated to enable quantitative comparison of different architectural options. Options for prestaging assets using solar electric propulsion versus delivering all systems with the crew were also evaluated. Seven discrete mission architectures were evaluated. RESULTS: The driving consideration for habitat location (Phobos surface versus orbital) was radiation exposure, with an estimated reduction in cumulative mission radiation exposure of up to 34% (versus a Mars orbital mission) when the habitat is located on the Phobos surface, compared with only 3% to 6% reduction for a habitat in a 20-km DRO. The exploration utility of lightweight unpressurized excursion vehicles was limited by the need to remain within 20 minutes of solar particle event radiation protection combined with complex guidance, navigation, and control systems required by the nonintuitive and highly-variable gravitational environment. Two-person pressurized excursion vehicles as well as mobile surface habitats offer significant exploration capability and operational benefits compared with unpressurized extravehicular activity (EVA) mobility systems at the cost of increased system and propellant mass. Mechanical surface translation modes (ie, hopping) were modeled and offered potentially significant propellant savings and the possibility of extended exploration operations between crewed missions. Options for extending the use of the crew taxi vehicle were examined, including use as an exploration asset for Phobos surface exploration (when combined with an alternate mobility system) and as an EVA platform, both on Phobos and for contingency EVA on the Mars transit habitat. CONCLUSIONS: Human exploration of Phobos offers a scientifically meaningful first step towards human Mars surface missions that develops and validates transportation, habitation, and exploration systems and operations in advance of the Mars landing systems.

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Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission: Robotic Boulder Capture Option Overview

Cited by 30 publications

References 11 publications

Enhanced Kinetic Impactor for Deflecting Large Potentially Hazardous Asteroids via Maneuvering Space Rocks

Enhanced Kinetic Impactor for Deflecting Large Potentially Hazardous Asteroids via Maneuvering Space Rocks

NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission concept development summary

Human exploration of Phobos

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