Journal article · Preprint article
CASTAway: An asteroid main belt tour and survey
University of Oxford1
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research2
University of Bern3
Aix-Marseille Université4
National Research Council of Italy5
Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County6
Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur7
Measurement and Instrumentation Systems, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark8
National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark9
ELKH Secreteriat10
Massachusetts Institute of Technology11
Open University Milton Keynes12
Royal Observatory13
University of Copenhagen14
Université de Bourgogne15
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory16
Czech Academy of Sciences17
Université PSL18
University of Helsinki19
University of Manchester20
Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées21
Cardiff University22
OHB-System AG23
Cranfield University24
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory25
Universität der Bundeswehr München26
University of Padua27
Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy28
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias29
...and 19 moreCASTAway is a mission concept to explore our Solar System's main asteroid belt. Asteroids and comets provide a window into the formation and evolution of our Solar System and the composition of these objects can be inferred from space-based remote sensing using spectroscopic techniques. Variations in composition across the asteroid populations provide a tracer for the dynamical evolution of the Solar System.
The mission combines a long-range (point source) telescopic survey of over 10,000 objects, targeted close encounters with 10–20 asteroids and serendipitous searches to constrain the distribution of smaller (e.g. 10 m) size objects into a single concept. With a carefully targeted trajectory that loops through the asteroid belt, CASTAway would provide a comprehensive survey of the main belt at multiple scales.
The scientific payload comprises a 50 cm diameter telescope that includes an integrated low-resolution (R = 30–100) spectrometer and visible context imager, a thermal (e.g. 6–16 µm) imager for use during the flybys, and modified star tracker cameras to detect small (∼10 m) asteroids. The CASTAway spacecraft and payload have high levels of technology readiness and are designed to fit within the programmatic and cost caps for a European Space Agency medium class mission, while delivering a significant increase in knowledge of our Solar System.
Language: | English |
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Publisher: | Elsevier |
Year: | 2018 |
Pages: | 1998-2025 |
ISSN: | 18791948 and 02731177 |
Types: | Journal article and Preprint article |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.asr.2017.10.021 |
ORCIDs: | Leif Jorgensen, J. , 0000-0001-9328-2905 and 0000-0002-4629-8880 |
Main Asteroid BeltSurveyFlybyMappingRemote sensing astro-ph.EP