PANIC – A surface science package for the in situ characterization of a near-Earth asteroid |
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| Authors: | Karsten Schindler Cristina A Thomas Vishnu Reddy Andreas Weber Stefan Gruska Stefanos Fasoulas |
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| Institution: | 1. Technische Universität Dresden, Institute for Aerospace Engineering, 01062 Dresden, Germany;2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA;3. University of North Dakota, Department of Space Studies, 4149 University Ave Stop 9008, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA;1. Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, 200030 Shanghai, China;2. IMCCE-Observatoire de Paris, UMR8028 CNRS, 77 av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France;3. SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA;1. Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA;2. Hereford Arizona Observatory, Hereford, AZ 85615, USA;3. Center for Solar System Studies, Landers, CA 91730, USA;4. Riverside Astronomical Society, Riverside, CA 92516, USA;5. Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Goettingen, Germany;2. Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi;1. Academy of Opto-Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094;2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049;3. Beijing Aerospace Control Center, Beijing 100094;1. Space Studies Department, John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9008, United States;2. Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E Fort Lowell Rd, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States;3. Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9, Canada |
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| Abstract: | This paper presents the results of a mission concept study for an autonomous micro-scale surface lander also referred to as PANIC – the Pico Autonomous Near-Earth Asteroid In Situ Characterizer. The lander is based on the shape of a regular tetrahedron with an edge length of 35 cm, has a total mass of approximately 12 kg and utilizes hopping as a locomotion mechanism in microgravity. PANIC houses four scientific instruments in its proposed baseline configuration which enable the in situ characterization of an asteroid. It is carried by an interplanetary probe to its target and released to the surface after rendezvous. Detailed estimates of all critical subsystem parameters were derived to demonstrate the feasibility of this concept. The study illustrates that a small, simple landing element is a viable alternative to complex traditional lander concepts, adding a significant science return to any near-Earth asteroid (NEA) mission while meeting tight mass budget constraints. |
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