Optimization of Interplanetary Trajectories for Impulsive and Continuous Asteroid Deflection
نویسنده
چکیده
The chaotic dynamic of near earth objects and our limited knowledge on the asteroid population makes it impossible to predict the next impact of an asteroidwith our planet. The collision at Jupiter of the comet Shoemaker– Levy 9, the more recent discovery of the asteroid 99442 Apophis, and other similar events, have stimulated the discussion on our capabilities of deflecting an asteroid in collision route with Earth.We propose a simple expression to evaluate themerit of a given deflection strategy.We then specialize the derived analytical expression in the special cases of a kinetic impactor and of a longduration thrust deflection.We then study two examples. The first dealswith a massive spacecraft equipped with an advanced low-thrust propulsion system. We show, fictitiously, that it is convenient to send such a spacecraft to impact the asteroid rather than to rendezvous and push it. In the second example, we solve the optimal interplanetary trajectory problem to deflect the asteroid 99942 Apophis. We find that several optimal interplanetary trajectories exist that allow a 750-Kg spacecraft to be launched from 2015–2026, and impact 99942 Apophis allowing prekeyhole deflections of orders of magnitude larger than the likely required amount.
منابع مشابه
Optimal Trajectory Design for Interception and Deflection of near Earth Objects
Many asteroids and comets orbit the inner solar system; among them Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are those celestial bodies for which the orbit lies close, and sometimes crosses, the Earth’s orbit. Over the last decades the impact hazard they pose to the Earth has generated heated discussions on the required measures to react to such a scenario. The aim of the research presented in this dissertatio...
متن کاملOptimal Low-Thrust Trajectories to Reach the Asteroid Apophis
Apophis is considered by the Greeks as chaos, the God of destruction. For this reason, in current times, this name returns to scene to represent a destructive potential threat to the Earth. It is the name of an asteroid that orbits a region that represents a high risk of collision with the Earth. This asteroid was discovered in 2004 and received the initial name of 2004MN4. Then it was named Ap...
متن کاملDesign of a Formation of Solar Pumped Lasers for Asteroid Deflection
This paper presents the design of a multi-spacecraft system for the deflection of asteroids. Each spacecraft is equipped with a fibre laser and a solar concentrator. The laser induces the sublimation of a portion of the surface of the asteroid, and the resultant jet of gas and debris thrusts the asteroid off its natural course. The main idea is to have a formation of spacecraft flying in the pr...
متن کاملAas 15-523 Multi-objective Hybrid Optimal Control for Multiple-flyby Interplanetary Mission Design Using Chemical Propulsion
Preliminary design of high-thrust interplanetary missions is a highly complex process. The mission designer must choose discrete parameters such as the number of flybys and the bodies at which those flybys are performed. For some missions, such as surveys of small bodies, the mission designer also contributes to target selection. In addition, real-valued decision variables, such as launch epoch...
متن کاملPrediction of Deformation of Circular Plates Subjected to Impulsive Loading Using GMDH-type Neural Network
In this paper, experimental responses of the clamped mild steel, copper, and aluminium circular plates are presented subjected to blast loading. The GMDH-type neural networks (Group Method of Data Handling) are then used for the modelling of the mid-point deflection thickness ratio of the circular plates using those experimental results. The aim of such modelling is to show how the mid-point de...
متن کامل