Author Topic: Mission to Cruithne?  (Read 3207 times)

Offline CNYMike

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Mission to Cruithne?
« on: 09/30/2011 05:38 am »
Is anyone even thinking of making Cruithne target of BEO missions?

It's far enough away to be "deep space" but in a regular enough orbit multiple missions could be planned.   That would answer the criticism of building an infratucture for ONE asteroid mission.  Cruithne is farther than the Moon but close enough for regualr missions. 

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Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: Mission to Cruithne?
« Reply #1 on: 09/30/2011 12:48 pm »
As I understand it, Cruinthe is actually a harder target than Jupiter in terms of the amount of delta-v required to rendezvous with it.  So, unless a new miracle engine is developed any time soon, I suspect that it won't be on the target list.

The target criteria probably reads something like this:

1) < 3 months transit time;
2) Near-Earth; ideally a PHO;
3) Close to the same orbital inclination as Earth;
4) Significantly larger than the spacecraft (a lot of NEOs are ~10m diameter);
5) Some indication that the object is intersting in minerological terms in some way.
"Oops! I left the silly thing in reverse!" - Duck Dodgers

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Offline Proponent

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Re: Mission to Cruithne?
« Reply #2 on: 09/30/2011 04:15 pm »
If I may add:

6) Not rotating fast.
7) Bound together, and not covered with debris that will cause a dust storm when struck by a thruster plume.

Offline Moe Grills

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Re: Mission to Cruithne?
« Reply #3 on: 10/03/2011 07:35 pm »
Well, since it does come within 12 million km (7.5M miles) of Earth
every November, I think it would be a nice flyby target for an robotic mission from? JPL? JHUAPL? JAXA? ESA?

Offline alexterrell

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Re: Mission to Cruithne?
« Reply #4 on: 10/03/2011 07:57 pm »

5) Some indication that the object is intersting in minerological terms in some way.

What would that mean?

- Nickel iron, so the crew could return with a gram of gold and platinum?
- High water content, so there could be a little ISRU demonstrator (Drink some asteroid water!)?
- Organic matter, so the Scientists can figure out how life evolved?

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: Mission to Cruithne?
« Reply #5 on: 10/04/2011 12:13 pm »

5) Some indication that the object is intersting in minerological terms in some way.

What would that mean?

- Nickel iron, so the crew could return with a gram of gold and platinum?
- High water content, so there could be a little ISRU demonstrator (Drink some asteroid water!)?
- Organic matter, so the Scientists can figure out how life evolved?


That's a few of the possible causes of interest, yes.  Another is if the object is a high probability of being an amalgam of debris from the still-theoretical lunar formation impact.  Sample return from any of these objects would be a nice scientific justification for the mission.
"Oops! I left the silly thing in reverse!" - Duck Dodgers

~*~*~*~

The Space Shuttle Program - 1981-2011

The time for words has passed; The time has come to put up or shut up!
DON'T PROPAGANDISE, FLY!!!

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