Characterization of Asteroids 2867 Steins and 21 Lutetia, Targets of the Rosetta Mission

Details Characterization of Asteroids 2867 Steins and 21 Lutetia, Targets of the Rosetta Mission Characterization of Asteroids 2867 Steins and 21 Lutetia, Targets of the Rosetta Mission

Jun 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005sptz.prop20653l&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #20653

Computer Science

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Scientific paper

Asteroids 2867 Steins and 21 Lutetia are the new targets of the Rosetta mission. Our present knowledge of these two objects is still very limited. Their albedos are either unknown (Steins) or subject to question (Lutetia), with severe consequences for their sizes and their taxonomic classifications and their surface compositions are either unclear or controversial. We propose to investigate the physical properties (size, shape), the surface and thermal properties (albedo, thermal inertia, surface roughness) and surface composition of these two asteroids by taking advantage of the capabilities and performances of the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST), supplemented by ground-based observations. The SST observations consist in taking low resolution spectra with the IRS instrument over its full wavelength range 5-38 micron. Each asteroid will be observed 14 times at time intervals of 30 min for Steins and 40 mn for Lutetia in order to properly sample their light curve. The detailed knowledge of these asteroids that will result from our proposed program will be of critical importance for optimizing the flyby strategy of the Rosetta spacecraft and the operation of its instruments. They will later supplement the in-situ observations necessarily limited by the conditions of a fast flyby and contribute to their global characterization.

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