MASCOT: Latest News of Landing on (162173) Ryugu

Paper number

IAC-18,A3,4A,2,x45690

Author

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

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

Prof. Jean-Pierre Bibring, France, IAS

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

Dr. David Hercik, Germany, TU Braunschweig

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

Mr. Jan Thimo Grundmann, Germany, DLR (German Aerospace Center)

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

Mrs. Laurence Lorda, France, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

Ms. Aurelie Moussi-Soffys, France, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)

Coauthor

Mrs. Celine Cenac-Morthe, France, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)

Coauthor

Dr. Tatsuaki Okada, Japan, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Coauthor

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

Coauthor

Mr. Kaname Sasaki, Germany, DLR (German Aerospace Center)

Coauthor

Mr. Norbert Toth, Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Yuichi Tsuda, Japan, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Coauthor

Dr. Tetsuo Yoshimitsu, Japan, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Year

2018

Abstract

It will be nearly a four year long journey from launch with the Hayabusa2 spacecraft in 2014 Dec 3rd and until beginning of October 2018 when MASCOT (‘Mobile Asteroid surface SCOuT’) should land on the Near-Earth Asteroid (162173) Ryugu. During cruise phase, MASCOT underwent several inflight and ground based health checks, instrument calibration and subsystem tests to prepare the lander for its biggest challenge: operating autonomously on the asteroid’s surface for roughly 16 hours. Within this time, MASCOT should provide scientific data of the surface and physical properties of asteroid Ryugu with its 4 scientific instruments: a wide angle camera with night-time colour illumination (MASCAM), an imaging IR spectrometer microscope (MicrOmega), a multichannel radiometer (MARA), and a magnetometer (MasMAG). MASCOT has an internal mobility unit which enables it to self-right, to place itself into the desired science operation orientation and to relocate on the surface in order to explore more than one site.
The lander was jointly developed by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). The four payloads are provided by DLR Berlin (MASCAM and MARA), IAS Paris (MicrOmega) and TU Braunschweig (MASMAG).
The landing of MASCOT is currently scheduled between 2018, October 1st – 4th during the week of IAC 2018. Thus be possible to present the latest news from the ongoing mission such as landing site selection and very first data right from the asteroid.

Abstract document

IAC-18,A3,4A,2,x45690.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-18,A3,4A,2,x45690.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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