What's inside a rubble pile asteroid? DISCUS - a tomographic twin radar CubeSat to find out.

Paper number

IAC-18,B4,8,9,x43653

Author

Mr. Patrick Bambach, Germany, Max-Planck Institute for Solar Systems Research,

Coauthor

Dr. Deller Jakob, Germany, Max-Planck Institute for Solar Systems Research,

Coauthor

Dr. Esa Vilenius, Germany, Max-Planck Institute for Solar Systems Research,

Coauthor

Dr. Sampsa Pursiainen, Finland, Tampere University of Technology

Coauthor

Mr. Mika Takala, Finland, Tampere University of Technology

Coauthor

Mr. Joachim Martel, Germany, Max-Planck Institute for Solar Systems Research,

Coauthor

Prof. Hans Martin Braun, Germany, RST Radar Systemtechnik AG

Coauthor

Mr. Harald Lentz, Germany, RST Radar Systemtechnik AG

Coauthor

Dr. Manfred Wittig, Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Martin Jutzi, Switzerland, University of Bern

Coauthor

Ms. Hannah Goldberg, Denmark, GomSpace Aps

Coauthor

Ms. Liisa-Ida Sorsa, Finland, Tampere University of Technology

Coauthor

Dr. Birgit Ritter, Belgium, Royal Observatory of Belgium

Coauthor

Dr. Ozgur Karatekin, Belgium, Royal Observatory of Belgium

Year

2018

Abstract

A big fraction of asteroids with d$>$240m are suspected to be loose piles of rocks and boulders bound together mainly by gravity and weak cohesion. Still, to date the size and distribution of voids and monolith inside these "rubble-piles" are not known.\\
To perform a full tomographic interior reconstruction a bistatic CubeSat configuration has been investigated by TU Tampere, Radar System Technology (RST) and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS). The concept is based on two 6U CubeSats, both carrying an identical 1U sized stepped frequency radar. As stepped frequency radars can be built compact, require less power and generate less data volume compared to other radar applications they are well-suited for small sat platforms.\\

In 2017 the Concurrent Design Facility of ESA/ESTEC conducted two studies relevant for DISCUS. In the Small Planetary Probes (SPP) study DISCUS served as a reference payload for a piggyback mission to a NEA or a main belt asteroid. The M-ARGO study investigated a stand-alone mission to a NEA, with a DISCUS sized instrument. Based on the spacecraft design of SPP and M-ARGO we could prove the instrument requirements as feasible and evaluate our science case from the orbits and mission duration that have been identified by the studies.\\

Using inversion methods developed for medical tomography the data would allow to reconstruct the large scale interior structure of a small body. Simulations have shown that the measurement principle and the inversion method are robust enough to allow full reconstruction of the interior even if the orbits do not cover the entire surface of the asteroid.\\
The measurement results of the mission will help to gain a better understanding of asteroids and the formation mechanisms of the solar system. In addition, the findings will increase the  predictability of asteroid impact consequences on earth and  improve future concepts of asteroid deflection.

Abstract document

IAC-18,B4,8,9,x43653.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-18,B4,8,9,x43653.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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