Small Bodies Exploration In The Next 35 Years - Lunar And Planetary .

Small Bodies Exploration in the next 35 Years Timothy D. Swindle (U. of Arizona) and the SBAG Steering Committee Nancy Chabot (APL) Brent Barbee (NASA GSFC) James Bauer (JPL) Beau Bierhaus (Lockheed Martin) Dan Britt (U. of Central Florida) Julie Castillo-Rogez (JPL) Paul Chodas (JPL) Lori Feaga (U. of Maryland) Christine Hartzell (U. of Maryland) Carolyn Mercer (NASA Glenn) Angela Stickle (APL)

The past as the key to the future Then ( 1980) – 2000 asteroids, 600 comets known Now – 500,000 asteroids, 3400 comets known

The past as the key to the future Then ( 1980) – 2000 asteroids, 600 comets known – Can we send a spacecraft to Halley? Now – 500,000 asteroids, 3400 comets known

The past as the key to the future Then ( 1980) – 2000 asteroids, 600 comets known – No flybys – Pluto has a moon! Now – 500,000 asteroids, 3400 comets known – A dozen spacecraft visits

The past as the key to the future Then ( 1980) – 2000 asteroids, 600 comets known – No flybys – Pluto’s largest Moon just discovered – 2000 meteorites found Now – 500,000 asteroids, 3400 comets known – A dozen spacecraft visits – New Horizons, plus 2000 other KBOs known

The past as the key to the future Then ( 1980) – 2000 asteroids, 600 comets known – No flybys – Pluto’s largest Moon just discovered – 2000 meteorites found – Could asteroids be hazardous? Now – 500,000 asteroids, 3400 comets known – A dozen spacecraft visits – New Horizons, plus 2000 other KBOs known – 55,000 meteorites found University of California Observatories

The past as the key to the future Then ( 1980) – 2000 asteroids, 600 comets known – No flybys – Pluto’s largest Moon just discovered – 2000 meteorites found – Could asteroids be hazardous? Now – 500,000 asteroids, 3400 comets known – A dozen spacecraft visits – New Horizons, plus 2000 other KBOs known – 55,000 meteorites found – Planetary Defense Coordination Office

Drivers for small bodies exploration Some are easy to get to – SmallSats, Discovery – Mars moons more accessible than surface – Human stepping stone? There are a lot of them Defense – NEOs are the big hazard Resource possibilities – Some accessible objects have water, metals – Mars moons could be volatile rich And diverse science!

Science - Origins Remnants of formation of planets, contain clues to early Solar System We want to know – – – – – Census and architecture Dynamical evolution Evolution of surfaces Evolution of volatiles Chemical markers

Science - Workings Small bodies show broad spectrum of sizes, composition, are found across the Solar System We want to know about – Differentiation – Collisional evolution – Response to space weathering – Volatile loss mechanisms – Connection with meteorites NASA

Science - Life Large planetesimals could sustain a deep ocean for some period and foster chemical activity We want to know – Extent of chemical evolution – Habitability potential (past and present) – Contribution to Earth’s organics and volatiles

Likely places for knowledge growth Oort Cloud (telescopic observations) TNOs (9th planet?) Jupiter Trojans Martian moons – How did they form? How did Earth get wet? Missions, missions!

Planetary defense Find & characterize hazardous objects – Most 1km objects known – Most 140m-1km objects not Models to assess risk to Earth Robust mitigation strategies Catalina Sky Survey

Planetary defense: Next steps Find the 140 m objects Learn structure of NEOs Tests of mitigation strategies – Gravity tractor (ARM) – Kinetic impactor (AIDA) – Will we develop ready-tolaunch missions? Above: ARM; Below: AIDA

Enabling human exploration - goals Identify and characterize potential targets Understand how to work on/interact with small bodies Help prepare for Mars exploration Understand risks, benefits Potential resources Deimos Lockheed Martin

Human exploration - synergy Destinations as well as proving ground Very accessible NEOs exist – More accessible than lunar surface – Orbits mean they’re also hazardous Martian moons attractive targets Crewed missions will return vast amounts of data, samples (Apollo) From B. Barbee, including asteroids identified as part of Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS)

Resources NEOs could be source of water, metals – Ease of access means it is easy to get materials to other destinations Martian moons as source of fuel Synergies with science, human exploration Asteroid mining spacecraft and concepts from Planetary Resources (above) and Deep Space Industries (below)

James Bauer (JPL) Beau Bierhaus (Lockheed Martin) Dan Britt (U. of Central Florida) Julie Castillo-Rogez (JPL) Paul Chodas (JPL) Lori Feaga (U. of Maryland) Christine Hartzell (U. of Maryland) Carolyn Mercer (NASA Glenn) Angela Stickle (APL) The past as the key to the future Then ( 1980)