Interstellar Object Uncertainty Evolution and Effect on Fast Flyby Delivery and Required Delta-V

Interstellar objects (ISOs) are small bodies that can travel through our solar system from other star systems. When present in our solar system, they represent an opportunity to study the properties and origins of these objects, as well as the potential for cross-pollination of material between star systems. With current propulsion technology, rendezvous with these objects is likely infeasible, and thus the maximum science return results from a rapid response flyby and impactor. However, while trajectories to ISOs may be feasible, their potentially high ephemeris uncertainties and high-speed hyperbolic orbits present significant challenges to navigation. In this paper we assess these challenges by modeling the uncertainties of reachable synthetic ISOs as a function of time, as derived by measurements from ground observatories and an approaching spacecraft. From these uncertainties we derive the final delivery accuracy of fast flyby spacecraft to the ISO and required statistical delta-v for navigation. We find that these two challenges can lead to hundreds of meters-per-second or even kilometers-per-second of required statistical delta-v for navigation, reduce delivery accuracy to hundreds of kilometers, and make autonomous navigation a requirement

Interstellar Object Accessibility and Mission Design

Interstellar objects (ISOs) are fascinating and under-explored celestial objects, providing physical laboratories to understand the formation of our solar system and probe the composition and properties of material formed in exoplanetary systems. This paper will discuss the accessibility of and mission design to ISOs with varying characteristics, including a discussion of state covariance estimation over the course of a cruise, handoffs from traditional navigation approaches to novel autonomous navigation for fast flyby regimes, and overall recommendations about preparing for the future in situ exploration of these targets. The lessons learned also apply to the fast flyby of other small bodies including long-period comets and potentially hazardous asteroids, which also require a tactical response with similar characteristicsComment: Accepted at IEEE Aerospace Conferenc