Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008dps....40.3209c&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #40, #32.09; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.452
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Threats of impact, as well as questions about asteroid origin and formation of our solar system at large, has driven detailed studies of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). In spite of the highly successful missions visiting the NEAs (433) Eros and (25143) Itokawa, which gathered a wealth of data about their surface and interior, recent developments in the field of NEAs, such as the discovery of a large portion of binary or multiple systems and identification of rare classes in this population, motivates us to design a dedicated space mission to one of these asteroids.
Considering low Delta V available targets, the potentially hazardous binary system (65803) Didymos has been chosen as the target of the Didymos Explorer. Didymos is a binary asteroid system with a primary diameter of 0.75±0.1 km and a 0.15±0.05 km secondary (Benner, Pers. Comm). Spectroscopic measurements (Binzel et al., 2004) show that Didymos is an Xk-type in the Bus taxonomic classification. The orbital period of the secondary is 11.91±0.01 h while the primary spins at about 2.2593±0.0001 h (Pravec et al., 2006). Hence, sending a spacecraft to Didymos offers a "2 for 1" science opportunity, allowing study of both slow and fast rotators. This will help shed light on binary formation processes, contributing to our understanding of the solar system.
The Didymos Explorer mission concept can be launched in Fall 2014 with a Delta II. Corresponding target arrival is scheduled in Spring 2016, and the science operations will last several months. After an intensive campaign of surface and shape characterization, using visible and near-infrared imaging, spectroscopic and thermal observation, and LIDAR topography sensing, the mission will conclude with deployment of a tetrahedral picolander for in situ compositional characterization on the secondary's surface.
Bellerose Julie
Cook Amanda
Marchis Franck
Mester C.
Murdoch Naomi
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