AIDA (international space cooperation) explained

AIDA
Mission Type:Dual asteroid probes
Operator:ESA / NASA
Website:AIDA study
Launch Date:
Launch Rocket:
Interplanetary:
Type:impactor
Object:Dimorphos[2]
Arrival Date:26 September 2022
Type:orbiter
Component:Hera, Milani, Juventas
Arrival Date:January 2027[3]

The Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) missions are a proposed pair of space probes which will study and demonstrate the kinetic effects of crashing an impactor spacecraft into an asteroid moon. The mission is intended to test and validate impact models of whether a spacecraft could successfully deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.[4]

The original plan called for a European spacecraft, the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM), to operate in synergy with a large NASA impactor called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) and observe the immediate effects of the impact. AIM was cancelled in 2016 when Germany was unable to fund its portion, and after some backlash within European Space Agency (ESA), AIM was replaced in 2018 with a smaller spacecraft called Hera that will launch five years after DART to orbit and study the crater on the asteroid. Hera will also deploy two European CubeSats in deep space for close-up asteroid surveying: Juventas and Milani.[5]

DART impacted Dimorphos, the asteroid moonlet of 65803 Didymos, on 26 September 2022.[6] Hera will arrive at Didymos in December 2026, four years and three months after DART impact.[7]

History

Initially, Hera role was to be realized by a much larger spacecraft called Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM),[8] that would have observed the plume, the crater, and the freshly exposed material to provide unique information for asteroid deflection, science and mining communities. In December 2016, the European Space Agency (ESA) cancelled the development of the AIM spacecraft after Germany decided to fund the ExoMars project only.[9] Germany offered to cover only 35 million of the 60 million needed for the AIM portion to continue,[9] and this was not enough to continue development.[10] Had AIM been developed, its notional requirements in 2012 were:

Under the original proposal, AIM would have launched in October 2020, and DART in July 2021. AIM would have orbited the larger asteroid and studied the composition of it and its moon. DART would then impact the asteroid's moon in October 2022, during a close approach to Earth.[13] AIM would have studied the asteroid's strength, surface physical properties and internal structure, as well as measured the effect on the asteroid moon's orbit around the larger asteroid.

Nevertheless, NASA has continued development of the DART mission to 65803 Didymos and plans to measure the effects of the impact from ground-based telescopes,[14] and from an Italian CubeSat DART will bring along. Following AIM's cancellation, ESA director Jan Wörner stated his intentions to revive the European mission in some form.[14] Etienne Schneider, Luxembourg's deputy prime minister, expressed regret at AIM's cancellation, and commented that his country would continue to advocate for the realization of the mission.[15]

Status

By March 2018, Hera proposal was in Phase B1, where the preliminary design was being drawn up. On 7 January 2019, the Hera team announced the selection of two CubeSats to piggyback on the mission: APEX and Juventas.[16] ESA officials approved Hera in November 2019 for a 2024 launch. In September 2020 ESA awarded a contract covering the detailed design, manufacturing, and testing of Hera.[5] In this occasion the APEX CubeSat is also substituted by the Milani one, named after the late Andrea Milani,[17] [18] distinguished professor and leading asteroid scientist.

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) decided in 2018 to contribute to NASA a secondary spacecraft called LICIACube (Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids), a 6-unit CubeSat that piggybacked with DART and separated 15 days before impact on 11 September 2022 to acquire images of the ejecta as it drifts past the asteroid.[19] [20] [21] [22] LICIACube is equipped with two optical science cameras, dubbed LUKE and LEIA.

Collaboration

The AIDA mission is a joint international collaboration of the European Space Agency (ESA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Côte d'Azur Observatory (OCA), NASA, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL).

The miniature lidar instrument on board Hera will be provided by a consortium of teams from Portugal, Poland, and Ireland.[23] Two CubeSats will be deployed by Hera while at Didymos:[24] The Milani CubeSat is being developed by Italy, Czech Republic, Finland.[25] [26] The Juventas CubeSat is being developed by GomSpace and GMV's Romanian division.[27]

Along with surveying DART impact crater, Hera may also carry a Japanese impactor that would be a replica of the Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI), on board the Hayabusa2 asteroid sample return mission.[8] NASA's DART brought a 6U flyby CubeSat along with it, called LICIACube, which was developed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to image the ejecta plume.

DART and LICIACube

See main article: Double Asteroid Redirection Test and LICIACube.

DART or Double Asteroid Redirection Test was a 500kg (1,100lb) impactor that hosted a single camera, Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical Navigation (DRACO), derived from LORRI camera aboard New Horizons, to support autonomous guiding to impact the center of the moon of Didymos B.[28] It also carried an Italian-built cubesat called LICIACube that was released pre-impact on 11 September 2022 to image the event.[29] It is estimated that the impact of the 500kg (1,100lb)[30] DART at 6km/s[31] will produce a velocity change on the order of 0.4 mm/s, which leads to a small change in the orbit of Didymos B, but over time, a large change in the orbital position (or orbital phase).[32] [13] DART impacted Dimorphos on 26 September 2022.

Hera

See main article: Hera (space mission).

Hera is the European component of the ESA–NASA AIDA mission. The Hera spacecraft, approved on 29 November 2019,[33] will focus on key measurements to validate impact and asteroid deflection models such as the detailed characterisation of the impact crater made by the DART impactor.[34] Hera will also measure the DART impact outcome, such as change in the binary system orbit, and will enable detailed characterisation of the Dimorphos volume and surface properties, as well as measure the volume and morphology of the DART impact crater.[35]

The baseline payload of Hera includes a camera, a miniaturized lidar and two CubeSats dedicated to asteroid characterisation. The spacecraft design allows for of additional payload mass, including the Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI) proposed by Japan's space agency JAXA. Other options, such as a small lander, are being considered. Hera will be launched on an Falcon 9 in 2024.[36]

Proposed payload

The notional payloads on Hera are:[8] [23]

Mission design

AIDA will target 65803 Didymos, a binary asteroid system in which one asteroid is orbited by a smaller one. The primary asteroid is about in diameter; its small satellite is about in diameter in an orbit about from the primary. Didymos is not an Earth-crossing asteroid, and there is no possibility that the deflection experiment could create an impact hazard to Earth.[40]

The impact of the DART spacecraft at 6.25 km/s will produce a velocity change on the order of 0.4 mm/s, which leads to a significant change in the mutual orbit of these two objects, but only a minimal change in the heliocentric orbit of the system.[32] [13] AIDA will provide a great benefit obtaining the size of the resulting impact crater in addition to the momentum transfer measurement, as the effects of porosity and strength of the target are needed to calculate the momentum transfer efficiency.[13]

DART impacted the small moon of the asteroid Didymos on 26 September 2022, while Hera would arrive at Didymos in 2027, five years after DART impact. To maximize scientific outcome, the AIDA team had proposed to delay DART launch so that Hera would arrive at the asteroid first, enabling it to study DART impact, the plume, the crater, and the freshly exposed material.[8] While most of the initial objectives of AIDA would still be met if Hera arrives after DART, as a drawback, data from direct observation of the impact and ejecta will not be obtained.[8]

AIDA mission architecture

Host spacecraft Secondary spacecraft Remarks
DART LICIACube
  • By the Italian Space Agency
  • 6U CubeSat
  • LUKE (LICIACube Unit Key Explorer) Camera and LEIA (LICIACube Explorer Imaging for Asteroid) Camera
Hera Juventas
  • By GomSpace and GMV
  • 6U CubeSat orbiter
  • Camera, JuRa monostatic low-frequency radar, accelerometers, and gravimeter[41]
  • Will attempt to land on the asteroid surface
Milani
  • By Italy/Czech/Finnish consortium
  • 6U CubeSat orbiter
  • VIS/Near-IR spectrometer, volatile analyzer
  • Will characterize Didymos and Dimorphos surface composition and the dust environment around the system
  • Will perform technology demonstration experiments
SCI

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Talbert. Tricia . February 17, 2021. DART Launch Moves to Secondary Window.
  2. Web site: AIDA study. European Space Agency . 19 December 2012. 2014-09-19. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141020141254/http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Technology/NEO/Asteroid_Impact_Deflection_Assessment_AIDA_study. 20 October 2014.
  3. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4372&context=smallsat The Juventas CubeSat in Support of ESA's Hera Mission to the Asteroid Didymos
  4. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/NEO/AIDA_mission_rationale AIDA mission rationale
  5. News: 15 September 2020 . Industry starts work on Europe's Hera planetary defence mission. 2021-06-16.
  6. Web site: Bardan . Roxana . 2022-09-26 . NASA's DART Mission Hits Asteroid in First-Ever Planetary Defense Test . 2022-09-30 . NASA.
  7. Web site: Hera . 2022-05-05 . www.esa.int . en.
  8. Michel. Patrick. Kueppers . Michael. Sierks. Holger. Carnelli. Ian. 26 April 2017. European component of the AIDA mission to a binary asteroid: Characterization and interpretation of the impact of the DART mission. Advances in Space Research. 62. 8. 2261–2272. Article. 18 December 2017. 10.1016/j.asr.2017.12.020. 55274187.
  9. http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/33592/20161207/exomars-rover-gets-funding-despite-schiaparelli-mars-lander-crash.htm ExoMars Rover Gets Funding Despite Schiaparelli Mars Lander Crash
  10. http://spacenews.com/nasa-presses-ahead-with-asteroid-mission-despite-esa-funding-decision/ NASA presses ahead with asteroid mission despite ESA funding decision
  11. http://spaceref.com/nasa-hack-space/cubesats/cubesat-companions-for-esas-astroid-mission.html Cubesat Companions for ESA's Mission
  12. 10.1016/j.asr.2017.12.014. Preliminary orbital analysis for a Cube Sat mission to the Didymos binary asteroid system. Advances in Space Research . 62 . 8 . 2290–2305 . 2018 . Lasagni Manghi . Riccardo . Modenini . Dario. Zannoni. Marco. Tortora. Paolo . 2018AdSpR..62.2290L . 11585/632497 . 125298773. free .
  13. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/NEO/Asteroid_Impact_Deflection_Assessment_AIDA_study Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) study
  14. News: Foust. Jeff. Jeff Foust. February 15, 2017. NASA presses ahead with asteroid mission despite ESA funding decision. SpaceNews. 2018-06-11.
  15. News: Henry. Caleb. February 15, 2017. Luxembourgian minister unwilling to let ESA asteroid mission die without a fight. SpaceNews. 2018-06-10.
  16. News: Bergin. Chris. January 7, 2019. Hera adds objectives to planetary defense test mission . NASASpaceFlight.com. 2019-01-11.
  17. News: 29 November 2018. Andrea Milani (1948–2018).
  18. News: 15 September 2020. L'INDUSTRIA ITALIANA IN PRIMA LINEA NELLA MISSIONE HERA DELL'ESA.
  19. http://dart.jhuapl.edu/News-and-Resources/blog.php?id=20180927 Asteroids have been hitting the Earth for billions of years. In 2022, we hit back.
  20. Web site: The CubeSat Revolution. Kretschmar. Peter. Küppers. Michael. PDF. ESA. 20 December 2018. 2019-01-24.
  21. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8742007 Double Asteroid Redirection Test: The Earth Strikes Back.
  22. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018AGUFM.P51A..07F DART Impact Ejecta Simulation and Visualization for Fly-Along CubeSat Operational Planning.
  23. Web site: The Hera Mission Study. Carnelli. Ian. ESA. 11 October 2017. 2018-06-11.
  24. Web site: Status of AIM/Hera. Carnelli. Ian. ESA. 31 January 2018. 2018-06-11.
  25. News: 16 September 2020 . Missione Hera, Tyvak Int. realizzerà il cubesat "Andrea Milani". 2021-06-16.
  26. News: 16 September 2020 . BACK TO SPACE: IN 2024 POLITECNICO DI MILANO WILL TAKE PART TO THE FIRST PLANETARY DEFENSE MISSION. 2021-06-16.
  27. News: January 8, 2019. CubeSats joining Hera mission to asteroid system. Space Daily. 2019-01-11.
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/fy2021_congressional_justification.pdf - 10 February 2020
  29. Web site: LICIACUBE: NASA CHOOSES AN ARGOTEC'S SMALLSAT!. Argotec. 17 December 2019. 25 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200625154827/https://www.argotec.it/online/liciacube-nasa-choose-italian-excellence-to-monitor-a-space-impact-between-a-satellite-and-an-asteroid/. dead.
  30. http://dart.jhuapl.edu/The-Spacecraft/index.php DART: Home page at APL
  31. News: Andone. Dakin. NASA unveils plan to test asteroid defence technique . July 25, 2017. CNN. July 25, 2017.
  32. Cheng. A.F.. Michel . P.. Reed. C.. Galvez. A.. Carnelli. I.. DART: Double Asteroid Redirection Test. European Planetary Science Congress 2012. EPSC Abstracts. 2012.
  33. https://room.eu.com/news/hera-mission-is-approved-as-esa-receives-biggest-ever-budget Hera mission is approved as ESA receives biggest ever budget.
  34. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018cosp...42E2280M The Hera mission: European component of the ESA-NASA AIDA mission to a binary asteroid
  35. Web site: Raducan . Sabina D. . Collins . Gareth S. . Davison . Thomas M. . Numerical modelling of the DART impact and the importance of the Hera mission . IAA Planetary Defense Conference . 27 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210427140215/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1a06/a3732ca77718be99cb3d437c459e42ff6dba.pdf . 27 April 2021 . Washington DC . 1 May 2019 . 150382273 . dead.
  36. Web site: Foust . Jeff . ESA moves two missions to Falcon 9 . . 20 October 2022 . 20 October 2022.
  37. Ferrari . Fabio . Franzese . Vittorio . Pugliatti . Mattia . Giordano . Carmine . Topputo . Francesco . 15 March 2021 . Preliminary mission profile of Hera's Milani CubeSat . . 67 . 6 . 2010–2029 . Article . 15 March 2021 . 10.1016/j.asr.2020.12.034 . 0273-1177 . 2102.01559 . 2021AdSpR..67.2010F . 231750015.
  38. https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/EPSC-DPS2019-807-2.pdf A Low Frequency Radar to Fathom Asteroids from Juventas Cubesat on HERA.
  39. https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2020/EPSC2020-595.html JuRa: the Juventas Radar on Hera to fathom Didymoon
  40. AIDA: Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment Mission Under Study at ESA and NASA . 1829. 6008. Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur. February 2015. 2015-03-29. 2015LPICo1829.6008M. Michel. P. . Cheng. A.. Carnelli. I.. a. Rivkin . C. . Galvez. A.. Ulamec. S.. Reed. C..
  41. https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/EPSC-DPS2019-583-1.pdf Exploration of the binary asteroid 65803 Didymos by the Hera mission.

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