Comet Hopper Explained

Comet Hopper
Names List:CHopper
Operator:Under evaluation by NASA
Mission Duration:7.3 years (proposed)
Manufacturer:UMD
Lockheed Martin
GSFC
Launch Date:Cancelled; 2016 (was proposed)
Launch Rocket:Atlas V
Interplanetary:
Type:lander
Arrival Date:Cancelled; 2022 (was proposed)
Instruments List:
Acronym1:CHIRS
Acronym2:CHIMS
Acronym3:CHI
Acronym4:CHEX
Acronym5:PanCams
Name2:CHopper Ion/Neutral Mass Spectrometer
Name3:CHopper Imager
Name4:CHopper Heating Experiment

Comet Hopper (CHopper) was a proposed lander to NASA's Discovery Program that, had it been selected, would have orbited and landed multiple times on Comet Wirtanen as it approached the Sun. The proposed mission was led by Jessica Sunshine of the UMD, working with Lockheed Martin to build the spacecraft and the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center to manage the mission.[1]

History

The Comet Hopper mission was one of three Discovery Program finalists that received million in May 2011 to develop a detailed concept study.[2]

The other two missions were InSight and Titan Mare Explorer. After a review in August 2012, NASA selected the InSight mission.[3]

Scientific goals

The CHopper mission had three primary science goals for the 7.3 years of its lifetime. At roughly 4.5 AU the spacecraft would have rendezvoused with Comet Wirtanen to map the spatial heterogeneity of surface solids as well as gas and dust emissions from the coma - the nebulous envelope around the nucleus of a comet. The remote mapping would also allow for any nucleus structure, geologic processes, and coma mechanisms to be determined. After arriving at Comet Wirtanen, the spacecraft would have approached and landed, then subsequently hopped to other locations on the comet. As the comet approached the sun, the spacecraft would land and hop multiple times to record surface changes as the comet became more active.[4] The final landing would occur at 1.5 AU.

See also

External links

Press Releases
News Articles

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Planetary Science Division Update. NASA. May 23, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111114141842/http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/docs/Adams%20PPS%2005102011.pdf. November 14, 2011. dead.
  2. News: Taylor, Kate . NASA picks project shortlist for next Discovery mission . 9 May 2011 . TG Daily . 28 October 2015 . 6 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181006212756/https://www.tgdaily.com/space-features/55816-nasa-picks-project-shortlist-for-next-discovery-mission . dead .
  3. News: NASA will send robot drill to Mars in 2016 . . Brian . Vastag . August 20, 2012.
  4. Web site: Maryland scientists vie for NASA missions. The Baltimore Sun. June 2, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120926001329/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-05-29/news/bs-md-time-chopper-missions-20110529_1_nasa-missions-nasa-funding-bruce-banerdt/3. September 26, 2012.