I. T. – R. O. C. K. S Cometary Sample Return Mission
- Paper number
IAC-08.A3.2.INT24
- Author
Mr. Jörn Spurmann, DLR GSOC, Germany
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Since the beginning of solar system research and exploration, its methods have been mainly based on remote observations. Throughout the last decades in situ measurements have been performed via space borne missions. The examination of planetary materials from a known parent body beyond Earth with highly sophisticated and specialized instruments in laboratories is still a rarity due to the technical challenges and high costs of sample return missions. Materials from primitive solar system bodies are believed to be severely altered or completely destroyed during their fiery passage through the Earth atmosphere. Therefore the main reason for future sample return missions are the unavailability of unaltered pristine material on Earth and high resolution measurements only practicable on Earth. The widely unaltered and primitive materials found in comets are believed to give us many clues about the early solar system history, solar system formation processes and the origin of water and life on Earth [1]. To refer to ongoing comet missions like ROSETTA, which expectantly will extend our knowledge about comets considerably, we present the cometary sample return mission IT - ROCKS (International Team - Return Of Cometary Key Samples) to return up to three several gram samples from comet 88P/Howell, a typical Jupiter Family Comet. The mission scenario includes remote sensing of the comet’s nucleus with onboard instruments similar to the ROSETTA instruments [2,3,4] (VIS, IR, Thermal IR, X-Ray, Radar) and gas/dust composition measurements including a plasma science package. Additionally two microprobes [5] will further investigate the physical properties of the comet’s surface. Retrieving of the samples will be performed by touch and go maneuvers and a penetrator device [6]. Solar arrays are used as energy source and additional cooling is required to keep the samples at low temperatures (<135K) to prevent them from alteration during return [7]. The return of the samples will be performed by a reentry capsule similar to that used in the stardust mission. A combined propulsion method of solar electrical and chemical propulsion was chosen and an Ariane 5 ECB will be used as launching vehicle due to the payload of nearly 5.5 tons. The overall mission time is about 9 years and it will operate after 2025. The total costs will exceed 2000 million Euro. References [1] Festou, M., Keller, H. & Weaver, H. Comets II (Univ. Arizona Press, 2004). [2] Stern, S. et al. Alice: The rosetta Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph. Space Science Reviews 128, 507–527 (2007). [3] Balsiger, H. et al. Rosina–Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis. Space Science Reviews 128, 745–801 (2007). [4] Colangeli, L. et al. The Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator (GIADA) Experiment for the Rosetta Mission: Design, Performances and First Results. Space Science Reviews 128, 803–821 (2007). [5] Yoshimitsu, T., Kubota, T., Nakatani, I., Adachi, T. & Saito, H. Micro-hopping robot for asteroid exploration. Acta Astronautica 52, 441–446 (2003). [6] Lorenz, R. et al. Demonstration of comet sample collection by penetrator. ESA SP-542, 387-393 (2003) [7] Küppers et al. Triple F – Comet Nucleus Sample Return Mission. A proposal in response to ESA’s Cosmic Vision Call in joint collaboration with ROSCOSMOS. (2007)
- Abstract document
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