CRADLE · Collecting Asteroid-Orbiting Samples: enabling a safer, sustainable, and autonomous exploration of asteroids
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-03-15 → 2024-01-29
- EU contribution
- €229,705
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Collecting Asteroid-Orbiting Samples: enabling a safer, sustainable, and autonomous exploration of asteroids
Asteroids are rich in valuable resources (e.g., metals, silicates, and water), which could be exploited through future mining missions, and enable long-duration missions. Some asteroids have a chance to hit our planet with catastrophic consequences. Collecting and studying their samples improves the knowledge of their physical composition, resulting in a better target selection for mining and deflection missions. Missions such as JAXA's Hayabusa and Hayabusa2, and NASA's OSIRIS-REx have orbited, landed or impacted into asteroids. Landing or touch-down are complex and hazardous operations. Only Hayabusa2 had a successful touch-down. In CRADLE, we investigate sample collection in orbit by generating the ejecta via a small kinetic impactor. Such a mission is also viable for distributed systems of small spacecraft and in case of challenging environmental conditions. The first objective of CRADLE project is to study the dynamics of ejected particles as a function of impact conditions and asteroid properties. These aspects are investigated to assess what types of particles are most suitable to be collected and where they can be collected safely by a spacecraft. The second objective is the preliminary design of a particle collection device for millimetre- and sub-millimetre-sized fragments. Its sizing depends on the asteroid's ejecta distribution and flux prediction studied in the first objective. The final objective is to leverage the collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for of using images of the impact event to improve the modelling of the ejecta cloud.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Exploring asteroids and other small bodies in the solar system is a challenging task, which carries immense scientific benefits. Our understanding of the early Solar System would advance greatly by studying the chemicals stored in carbonaceous asteroids. Through the development of advanced technology, we will be able to process asteroid material into fuel, oxygen, and water, making long-duration mission self-sustainable. Metallic asteroid could offer a great source of mineral resources through asteroid mining. The knowledge of asteroids composition is also fundamental to help defend our planet from possible impactor, enabling effective asteroid deflection missions. The overall aim of this action is to advance the way we design and operate deep space missions to asteroids, and especially, how we model, track, and collect asteroid fragments. They give invaluable insight on the composition and the dynamical environment of asteroids, as well as key information on how we can deflect them. The research objectives will be achieved through the theoretical studies on particle dynamics, the development of machine-learning algorithms for tracking them, and the design of a particle collection device to gather them in orbit. These objectives are relevant to H2020 Work Programme, specifically regarding the “market creating innovation” and “strengthening international R&I cooperation”. The approach combines my current skills with the ones that I will have acquired during the fellowship. I will improve my professional maturity and foster new collaboration under the supervision of eminent researchers, in preparation for an independent career.
Original text from CORDIS.
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Data: CORDIS, © European Union