An Innovative Solution to NASA's NEO Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development

This paper presents the results of a NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) Phase 2 study entitled "An Innovative Solution to NASA's Near-Earth Object (NEO) Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development." This NIAC Phase 2 study was conducted at the Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC) of Iowa State University in 2012-2014. The study objective was to develop an innovative yet practically implementable mitigation strategy for the most probable impact threat of an asteroid or comet with short warning time (< 5 years). The mitigation strategy described in this paper is intended to optimally reduce the severity and catastrophic damage of the NEO impact event, especially when we don't have sufficient warning times for non-disruptive deflection of a hazardous NEO. This paper provides an executive summary of the NIAC Phase 2 study results. Detailed technical descriptions of the study results are provided in a separate final technical report, which can be downloaded from the ADRC website (www.adrc.iastate.edu).

[1]  J. Gil-Fernández,et al.  Impacting small Near Earth Objects , 2008 .

[2]  M. Sundaram,et al.  Quantum well infrared photodetectors , 1999, GaAs IC Symposium. IEEE Gallium Arsenide Integrated Circuit Symposium. 21st Annual. Technical Digest 1999 (Cat. No.99CH36369).

[3]  Ian Carnelli,et al.  ISTS 2006-k-26 ESA ’ S DON QUIJOTE MISSION : AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF AN ARTIFICIAL IMPACT CRATER ON AN ASTEROID , 2007 .

[4]  G. Rieke.  Books-Received - Detection of Light - from the Ultraviolet to the Submillimeter , 1995 .

[5]  B. Wie,et al.  AAS 14-281 SUBORBITAL INTERCEPT AND FRAGMENTATION OF ASTEROIDS WITH VERY SHORT WARNING TIMES , 2014 .

[6]  Bong Wie.  Hypervelocity nuclear interceptors for asteroid disruption , 2013 .

[7]  H. T. Huynh,et al.  A Flux Reconstruction Approach to High-Order Schemes Including Discontinuous Galerkin Methods , 2007 .

[8]  Daniel J. Scheeres,et al.  Periodic Orbits in Rotating Second Degree and Order Gravity Fields , 2008 .

[9]  Bong Wie,et al.  IR Telescope and Sensor Characterization for Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Guidance , 2014 .

[10]  Bret A. Picka,et al.  Space Shuttle Ascent Flight Design Process: Evolution and Lessons Learned , 2011 .

[11]  Bong Wie,et al.  Optical Navigation and Fuel-Efficient Orbit Control Around an Irregular-Shaped Asteroid , 2013 .

[12]  W. M. Owen,et al.  Determination of Eros Physical Parameters for Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Orbit Phase Navigation , 2000 .

[13]  D. G. Kubitschek.  Impactor spacecraft targeting for the Deep Impact mission to comet Tempel 1 , 2003 .

[14]  Geoffrey Statham,et al.  Survey of Technologies Relevant to Defense From Near-Earth Objects , 2004 .

[15]  Ping Lu,et al.  Rapid Optimal Multiburn Ascent Planning and Guidance , 2007 .

[16]  Peter H. Schultz,et al.  Limits on the use of nuclear explosives for asteroid deflection , 2011 .

[17]  Mark Steiner,et al.  Conceptual Design of a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) Flight Validation Mission , 2013 .

[18]  Yanning Guo,et al.  Spacecraft Guidance Algorithms for Asteroid Intercept and Rendezvous Missions , 2012 .

[19]  Bong Wie,et al.  GPU-Based Optical Navigation and Terminal Guidance Simulation of a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle ( HAIV ) , 2013 .

[20]  Bong Wie,et al.  Space Vehicle Dynamics and Control, Second Edition , 2008 .

[21]  D. Scheeres.  Dynamics about Uniformly Rotating Triaxial Ellipsoids: Applications to Asteroids , 1994 .

[22]  M. S. Matthews,et al.  Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids , 1992 .

[23]  Greg A. Dukeman,et al.  Atmospheric Ascent Guidance for Rocket-Powered Launch Vehicles , 2005 .

[24]  Bong Wie,et al.  New Approach to Halo Orbit Determination and Control , 1996 .

[25]  F. J. Morin,et al.  Electrical Properties of Silicon Containing Arsenic and Boron , 1954 .

[26]  Bong Wie,et al.  Interplanetary Ballistic Missile (IPBM) System Architecture Design for Near-Earth Object Threat Mitigation , 2009 .

[27]  E. Dereniak,et al.  Infrared Detectors and Systems , 1996 .

[28]  Samuel Arthur Wagner,et al.  Automated trajectory design for impulsive and low thrust interplanetary mission analysis , 2014 .

[29]  Bong Wie,et al.  Computational Validation of Nuclear Explosion Energy Coupling Models for Asteroid Fragmentation , 2014 .

[30]  Randolph L. Kirk,et al.  Eros: Shape, Topography, and Slope Processes , 2002 .

[31]  J. Owen,et al.  Adaptive Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics: Methodology. II. , 1995, astro-ph/9512078.

[32]  B. Wie,et al.  Mission Design and Analysis for Suborbital Intercept and Fragmentation of an Asteroid with Very Short Warning Time , 2014 .

[33]  Bong Wie,et al.  Nuclear Fragmentation/Dispersion Modeling and Simulation of Hazardous Near- Earth Objects , 2013 .

[34]  Bong Wie,et al.  Conceptual Design of a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) and its Flight Validation Mission , 2012 .

[35]  Daniel J. Scheeres,et al.  Close proximity dynamics and control about asteroids , 2014, 2014 American Control Conference.

[36]  John M. Hanson,et al.  Ascent Guidance Comparisons , 1994 .

[37]  Bong Wie,et al.  Active vibration control synthesis for the control of flexible structures mast flight system , 1988 .

[38]  Bong Wie,et al.  Near-Earth object intercept trajectory design for planetary defense , 2014 .

[39]  Junichiro Kawaguchi,et al.  Hayabusa, Summary of Guidance, Navigation and Control Achievement in its Proximity Phase , 2006 .

[40]  Brian Douglas Kaplinger,et al.  Physical modeling and high-performance GPU computing for characterization, interception, and disruption of hazardous near-Earth objects , 2013 .

[41]  Daniel J. Scheeres,et al.  Spacecraft dynamics in the vicinity of a comet , 2008 .

[42]  Ben J. Zimmerman,et al.  The Efficient Implementation of Correction Procedure via Reconstruction with GPU Computing , 2013 .

[43]  Bong Wie,et al.  Earth-Impact Modeling and Analysis of a Near-Earth Object Fragmented and Dispersed by Nuclear Subsurface Explosions , 2012 .

[44]  H. Gouraud.  Continuous Shading of Curved Surfaces , 1971, IEEE Transactions on Computers.

[45]  Zhi J. Wang,et al.  Spectral (Finite) Volume Method for Conservation Laws on Unstructured Grids. Basic Formulation , 2002 .

[46]  Wallace T. Fowler,et al.  Spacecraft Mission Design for the Optimal Impulsive Deflection of Hazardous Near-Earth Objects ( NEOs ) using Nuclear Explosive Technology , 2007 .

[47]  Bong Wie,et al.  Dynamics and Control of Gravity Tractor Spacecraft for Asteroid Deflection , 2008 .

[48]  John R. Schott,et al.  Remote Sensing: The Image Chain Approach , 1996 .

[49]  Timothy Michael Winkler.  Fuel-efficient feedback control of orbital motion around irregular-shaped asteroids , 2013 .

[50]  Bong Wie,et al.  ( Preprint ) AAS 14-285 NUCLEAR EXPLOSION ENERGY COUPLING MODELS FOR OPTIMAL FRAGMENTATION OF ASTEROIDS , 2014 .

[51]  J. Miller,et al.  Determination of Shape, Gravity, and Rotational State of Asteroid 433 Eros , 2002 .

[52]  David Dearborn.  21st Century Steam for Asteroid Mitigation , 2004 .

[53]  D. Scheeres.  Orbital mechanics about small bodies , 2012 .

[54]  Steven R. Chesley,et al.  Deep Impact Navigation System Performance , 2008 .

[55]  Bong Wie,et al.  Control synthesis for flexible space structures excited by persistent disturbances , 1992 .

[56]  R. S. Hudson,et al.  Orbits Close to Asteroid 4769 Castalia , 1996 .

[57]  Mariella Graziano,et al.  Autonomous GNC Algorithms for Rendezvous Missions to Near-Earth-Objects , 2008 .

[58]  Bong Wie,et al.  Hybrid Algorithm for Multiple Gravity-Assist and Impulsive Delta-V Maneuvers , 2015 .

[59]  Brent W. Barbee,et al.  Methodology and Results of the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Human Space Flight (HSF) Accessible Targets Study (NHATS) , 2011 .

[60]  Daniel J. Scheeres,et al.  Satellite Dynamics about Small Bodies: Averaged Solar Radiation Pressure Effects , 1999 .

[61]  J. Miller,et al.  Evaluation of the Dynamic Environment of an Asteroid: Applications to 433 Eros , 2000 .

[62]  Yanning Guo,et al.  Applications of Generalized Zero-Effort-Miss/Zero-Effort-Velocity Feedback Guidance Algorithm , 2013 .

[63]  Martin G. Cohen,et al.  THE WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER (WISE): MISSION DESCRIPTION AND INITIAL ON-ORBIT PERFORMANCE , 2010, 1008.0031.

[64]  Pavithra Dhanuka Premaratne,et al.  Nuclear subsurface explosion modeling and hydrodynamic fragmentation simulation of hazardous asteroids , 2014 .

[65]  Daniel J. Scheeres,et al.  The Orbital Dynamics Environment of 433 Eros: A Case Study for Future Asteroid Missions , 2002 .

[66]  D. Scheeres,et al.  Control of Hovering Spacecraft Near Small Bodies: Application to Asteroid 25143 Itokawa , 2005 .

[67]  Bong Wie,et al.  GPU Accelerated 3-D Modeling and Simulation of a Blended Kinetic Impact and Nuclear Subsurface Explosion , 2013 .

[68]  D. Scheeres,et al.  Exterior gravitation of a polyhedron derived and compared with harmonic and mascon gravitation representations of asteroid 4769 Castalia , 1996 .

[69]  Stefania Cornara,et al.  Mission Analysis for the Don Quijote Phase-A Study , 2007 .

[70]  Weiduo Hu.  Orbital motion in uniformly rotating second degree and order gravity fields. , 2004 .

[71]  Hazard Mitigation Strategies.  Defending planet Earth : near-Earth-object surveys and hazard mitigation strategies , 2010 .

[72]  Stanley G. Love,et al.  Gravitational tractor for towing asteroids , 2005, Nature.

[73]  Michael J. S. Belton,et al.  Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids , 2011 .