MASCOT, the small mobile asteroid landing package on its piggyback journey to 1999 JU3: pre-launch and post-launch activities

Paper number

IAC-15,A3,4,6,x30774

Author

Mr. Christian Ziach, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Volodymyr Baturkin, DLR (German Aerospace Center), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Tra-Mi Ho, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Christian Grimm, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Jan Thimo Grundmann, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mrs. Caroline Lange, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Ms. Nawarat Termtanasombat, Luleå Technical University, Germany

Coauthor

Ms. Wejmo Elisabet, DLR, German Aerospace Center, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Ross Findlay, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Josef Reill, Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Michael Lange, DLR (German Aerospace Center), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Olaf Mierheim, DLR (German Aerospace Center), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Jens Biele, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Christian Krause, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Stephan Ulamec, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Ms. Belinda Borgs, Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Matthias Grott, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Prof. Ralf Jaumann, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mrs. Muriel Deleuze, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

Coauthor

Prof. Jean-Pierre Bibring, IAS, France

Coauthor

Dr. Hans-Ulrich Auster, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany

Year

2015

Abstract

Since December 2014 the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-II is on its journey to asteroid 1999 JU3. Like its famous predecessor it is foreseen to study and return samples from its target body. This time, the mother spacecraft has several small passengers. One of them is a compact landing package called MASCOT (Mobile Asteroid surface SCOuT), which has been developed by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Once having been released from its mother-spacecraft's cradle, MASCOT will descend to the asteroid and after a few bounces will come to rest at a certain location on the surface. Sitting on the surface, it will perform its scientific investigations of the asteroids surface structure, mineralogical and physical properties, thermal behaviour and magnetic effects by using its suite of four scientific instruments: a spectrometer (MicrOmega, IAS Paris), a camera (CAM, DLR Berlin), a radiometer (MARA, DLR Berlin) and a magnetometer (MAG, TU Braunschweig). These payload operations are made possible, amongst others, by a clever thermal subsystem design specifically devised to cope with the contrasting requirements of cold cruise and hot on-surface operations and a primary battery optimizing mass versus energy output. A mobility mechanism realizes locomotion on the surface 
supported by an according attitude and motion sensing system and an intelligent autonomy manager, which is implemented in the onboard Software, can operate MASCOT when ground intervention is not available.

In a nutshell, with its many challenging technical hurdles that have been solved, the MASCOT lander can serve as a benchmark for extremely lightweight (~10kg), highly integrated mobile small body landing systems with onboard autonomy and high science output.

This paper will summarize the mission and system development. We will provide an overview over the final capabilities of the system as well as discuss the latest challenging pre-launch activities and tests. Further a summary and an outlook regarding the already performed as well as upcoming post-launch activities will follow. Lessons have been learned and will be told to be ready for future upcoming missions in the frame of small body exploration.

Abstract document

IAC-15,A3,4,6,x30774.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-15,A3,4,6,x30774.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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