Title :
Comparative analysis of asteroid-deflection approaches
Author :
Weisbin, Charles ; Lincoln, William ; Wilcox, Brian ; Brophy, John ; Chodas, Paul ; Muirhead, Brian
Author_Institution :
Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA
Abstract :
Five potential methods of preventing an asteroid from colliding with Earth-Kinetic Impactor (KI), Ion Beam Deflection (IBD), Gravity Tractor (GT), Enhanced Gravity Tractor (EGT), and Laser Ablation (LA)-are compared, with the objective of helping to inform a NASA decision regarding which technology or technologies could be demonstrated in space on the proposed 2019 Asteroid Robotic Redirect Mission (ARRM). Three design blocks are considered, which differ in the power available to the deflection technology and the mass at low-Earth orbit. We plot the required warning time (up to 30 years between discovery of the hazard and potential collision with Earth) vs. asteroid diameter for each of four technologies (gravity tractor without enhancement is considered only as a trim/verification candidate) under each design block, and illustrate sensitivities of results to important parameters.
Keywords :
asteroids; astronomical techniques; space vehicles; ARRM; Asteroid Robotic Redirect Mission; Earth-Kinetic Impactor; Enhanced Gravity Tractor; Gravity Tractor; Ion Beam Deflection; Laser Ablation; NASA; Solar-Electric ion-Propulsion system; asteroid-deflection approaches; gravitational keyhole; guidance-and-control parameter adjustment; high-power SEP system; judicious camera selection; planetary defense; precision tracking; primary-deflection method; second spacecraft implementation; single-mission scenarios; technology readiness level; trim technique; Agricultural machinery; Earth; Gravity; Ion beams; Orbits; Propulsion; Space vehicles;
Conference_Titel :
Aerospace Conference, 2015 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Big Sky, MT
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4799-5379-0
DOI :
10.1109/AERO.2015.7118939
