feasibility of a mission to the trojan asteroids from a technological perspective
- Paper number
IAC-09.A3.5.7
- Author
Mr. Pierre W. Bousquet, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France
- Coauthor
Dr. Benoît Meyssignac, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France
- Coauthor
Mr. Philippe Lamy, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, France
- Coauthor
Dr. Antonella Barucci, Observatoire de Paris, France
- Year
2009
- Abstract
The Jovian Trojan asteroids are confined to two swarms at the L4 and L5 Lagrange points of the Sun - Jupiter system. They form a very puzzling population: their very existence and their dynamical and physical evolutions represent major challenges. They put very strong constraints on any theory of the formation and evolution of the solar system. A detailed in-situ investigation of these bodies, beside their unprecedented characterisation, would be likely to raise vital clues in our understanding of the solar system. A reconnaissance mission to the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, aiming at a first characterisation of these populations of objects, was proposed at a seminar for prospective scientific missions organised by CNES in the spring of 2009. A technical evaluation had to be carried out to determine which options were possible amongst a large number of possibilities: - visit velocity (high velocity fly-by or insertion in the Trojan cloud), - transfer strategy (either direct or using Jupiter Gravity assist, with or without early auxiliary gravity assists), - launcher choice (Soyouz or Ariane 5 in our case), and injection strategy (high earth orbit or escape trajectory with required velocity), - propulsion technology (chemical, solar electrical or radio-isotopic electrical). The paper will present the conclusion of this evaluation. In particular, the potential of each propulsion type will be identified, making assumptions on possible mid-term technological improvements. The main characteristics of the two most promising spacecraft configurations will also be described. The contents of this paper correspond to a feasibility study performed at CNES in 2008 – 2009. They have not previously been presented at a conference. The participation of the main author in the 2009 IAC has been budgeted by CNES.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)