NEOShield kinetic impactor demonstration mission

Abstract

This paper outlines a near-term mission concept developed under the NEOShield Project, for the demonstration of deflection capability of Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs). Potentially Hazardous Objects are a subclass of NEOs consisting mostly of asteroids (Potentially Hazardous Asteroids) that have the potential to make close approaches to the Earth whilst featuring a size large enough to cause significant regional damage in the event of an impact. It is currently (as of 2012) expected that only 20 - 30 percent of all existing PHOs are already known. This gives an indication that NEOs, in particular PHOs, are likely to pose a real threat to earth on a long time scale. Among the possible mitigation and deflection options, the mission outlined here seeks to demonstrate NEO deflection by means of a kinetic impactor. The main objectives of the mission are technology demonstration, deflection validation and beta-factor determination. This requires a mission that impacts a NEO in a representative velocity regime, allows measurement of the deflection sufficiently accurately to clearly demonstrate the momentum transfer by the impactor. The beta-factor quantifies the additional momentum transfer achieved through ejecta from the asteroid, which can be achieved both through accurate deflection measurement or ejecta observation, ideally through both. For the development of a fitting mission concept the NEOShield project performed a wide range of trade-offs while taking into consideration a variety of previously developed mission concepts such as Don Quijote