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NASA NTRS2017

Evidence of Collisional Histories of Asteroids, Comets and Meteorites: Comparisons with Shocked Minerals

Evidence of the collisional history of comets and asteroids has been emerging from analyses of cometary forsterite and enstatite returned from Comet Wild 2 by the Stardust mission (Keller et al.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 72, 2008; Tomeoka et al. MAPS 43, 2008; Jacobs et al. MAPS 44, 2009). Likewise, shock metamorphism is observed in many meteoritic forsterites and enstatites (McCausland et al. AGU, 2010), suggesting similar collisional histories for asteroids. Further exploration of the effects of collisions is slated for the upcoming Asteroid Impact Mission/Double Asteroid Redirection Test (AIM/DART) mission, expected for launch in 2020. DART will impact Didymoon, the companion of the larger 65803 Didymos (1996 G2) asteroid, and AIM will use its instrumentation to characterize the impact. A suite of relevant impact experiments have been carried out in the Experimental Impact Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center at velocities ranging from approx. 2.0 - 2.8 km/s and temperatures from 25 C to -100 C. Targets include a suite of minerals typically found in cometary dust and in asteroids and meteorites: Mg-rich forsterite (olivine), enstatite (orthopyroxene), diopside (clinopyroxene), magnesite (Mg-rich carbonate), and serpentine (phyllosilicate). Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) imaging indicates evidence of shock similar to that seen in forsterite and enstatite from Comet Wild 2. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy will also be used for comparisons with meteorite spectra. A quantitative analysis of the shock pressures required to induce planar dislocations and spectral effects with respect to wavelength will also be presented.

Lederer, Susan M.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Proceedings of the 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

The 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference included sessions on: Phoenix: Exploration of the Martian Arctic; Origin and Early Evolution of the Moon; Comet Wild 2: Mineralogy and More; Astrobiology: Meteorites, Microbes, Hydrous Habitats, and Irradiated Ices; Phoenix: Soil, Chemistry, and Habitability; Planetary Differentiation; Presolar Grains: Structures and Origins; SPECIAL SESSION: Venus Atmosphere: Venus Express and Future Missions; Mars Polar Caps: Past and Present; SPECIAL SESSION: Lunar Missions: Results from Kaguya, Chang'e-1, and Chandrayaan-1, Part I; 5 Early Nebula Processes and Models; SPECIAL SESSION: Icy Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn: Cosmic Gymnasts; Mars: Ground Ice and Climate Change; SPECIAL SESSION: Lunar Missions: Results from Kaguya, Chang'e-1, and Chandrayaan-1, Part II; Chondrite Parent-Body Processes; SPECIAL SESSION: Icy Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn: Salubrious Surfaces; SNC Meteorites; Ancient Martian Crust: Primary Mineralogy and Aqueous Alteration; SPECIAL SESSION: Messenger at Mercury: A Global Perspective on the Innermost Planet; CAIs and Chondrules: Records of Early Solar System Processes; Small Bodies: Shapes of Things to Come; Sulfur on Mars: Rocks, Soils, and Cycling Processes; Mercury: Evolution and Tectonics; Venus Geology, Volcanism, Tectonics, and Resurfacing; Asteroid-Meteorite Connections; Impacts I: Models and Experiments; Solar Wind and Genesis: Measurements and Interpretation; Mars: Aqueous Processes; Magmatic Volatiles and Eruptive Conditions of Lunar Basalts; Comparative Planetology; Interstellar Matter: Origins and Relationships; Impacts II: Craters and Ejecta Mars: Tectonics and Dynamics; Mars Analogs I: Geological; Exploring the Diversity of Lunar Lithologies with Sample Analyses and Remote Sensing; Chondrite Accretion and Early History; Science Instruments for the Mars Science Lander; . Martian Gullies: Morphology and Origins; Mars: Dunes, Dust, and Wind; Mars: Volcanism; Early Solar System Chronology; Seek Out and Explore: Upcoming and Future Missions; Mars: Early History and Impact Processes; Mars Analogs II: Chemical and Spectral; Achondrites and their Parent Bodies; and Planning for Future Exploration of the Moon The poster sessions were: Lunar Missions: Results from Kaguya, Chang'e-1, and Chandrayaan-1; LRO and LCROSS; Geophysical Analysis of the Lunar Surface and Interior; Remote Observation and Geologic Mapping of the Lunar Surface; Lunar Spectroscopy; Venus Geology, Geophysics, Mapping, and Sampling; Planetary Differentiation; Bunburra and Buzzard Coulee: Recent Meteorite Falls; Meteorites: Terrestrial History; CAIs and Chondrules: Records of Early Solar System Processes; Volatile and Organic Compounds in Chondrites; Crashing Chondrites: Impact, Shock, and Melting; Ureilite Studies; Petrology and Mineralogy of the SNC Meteorites; Martian Meteorites; Phoenix Landing Site: Perchlorate and Other Tasty Treats; Mars Polar Atmospheres and Climate Modeling; Mars Polar Investigations; Mars Near-Surface Ice; Mars: A Volatile-Rich Planet; Mars: Geochemistry and Alteration Processes; Martian Phyllosilicates: Identification, Formation, and Alteration; Astrobiology; Instrument Concepts, Systems, and Probes for Investigating Rocks and Regolith; Seeing is Believing: UV, VIS, IR, X- and Gamma-Ray Camera and Spectrometer Instruments; Up Close and Personal: In Situ Analysis with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry; Jupiter and Inscrutable Io; Tantalizing Titan; Enigmatic Enceladus and Intriguing Iapetus; Icy Satellites: Cryptic Craters; Icy Satellites: Gelid Geology/Geophysics; Icy Satellites: Cool Chemistry and Spectacular Spectroscopy; Asteroids and Comets; Comet Wild 2: Mineralogy and More; Hypervelocity Impacts: Stardust Models, LDEF, and ISPE; Presolar Grains; Early Nebular Processes: Models and Isotopes; Solar Wind and Genesis: Measurements and Interpretation; Education and Public Outreach; Mercury; Pursuing Lunar Exploration; Sources and Eruptionf Lunar Basalts; Chemical and Physical Properties of the Lunar Regolith; Lunar Dust and Transient Surface Phenomena; Lunar Databases and Data Restoration; Meteoritic Samples of the Moon; Chondrites, Their Clasts, and Alteration; Achondrites: Primitive and Not So Primitive; Iron Meteorites; Meteorite Methodology; Antarctic Micrometeorites; HEDs and Vesta; Dust Formation and Transformation; Interstellar Organic Matter; Early Solar System Chronology; Comparative Planetology; Impacts I: Models and Experiments; Impacts II: Craters and Ejecta; Mars: Volcanism; Mars: Tectonics and Dynamics; Martian Stratigraphy: Understanding the Geologic History of Mars Through the Sedimentary Rock Record; Mars: Valleys and Valley Networks; Mars: Aqueous Processes in Valles Marineris and the Southern Highlands; Mars: Aqueous Geomorphology; Martian Gullies: Morphology and Origins; Mars: Dunes, Dust, and Wind; Mars: Remote Sensing; Mars: Geologic Mapping, Photogrammetry, and Cratering; Martian Mineralogy: Constraints from Missions and Laboratory Investigations; Mars Analogs: Chemical and Physical; Mars Analogs: Sulfates and Sulfides; Missions: Approaches, Architectures, Analogs, and Actualities; Not Just Skin Deep: Electron Microscopy, Heat Flow, Radar, and Seismology Instruments and Planetary Data Systems, Techniques, and Interpretation.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2007

Characterization of Three Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Particles from Comet 81P/WILD

Comets may sample the early solar system s complement of volatile-forming elements - including C and N - more fully and reliably than do the terrestrial planets or asteroids. Until recently, all elemental analyses of unambiguously cometary material were carried out remotely. The return of the Stardust mission makes it possible to analyze documented material from P81/Wild 2 in the laboratory Wild 2 particles fragmented when they stopped in the aerogel collectors. We have studied three fragments thought to be rich in C and N by using several techniques: FTIR to characterize organic matter; synchrotron-induced x-ray fluorescence (SXRF) to determine Fe and certain element/Fe ratios; SEM to image sample morphology and to detect semiquantitatively Mg, Al, Si, Ca, and Fe; and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) to measure C, N, O, and Si.

Gallien, J.-P.↗
NASA NTRS2004

NASA STARDUST Sample Return Mission

This viewgraph presentation reviews the Stardust mission. The objectives of the mission is to rendezvous with the Wild 2 comet, and using a specially designed aerogel capture some of the cometary material, and then return a capsule with the material to Earth. Other objectives are to provide images of the comet, and capture interstellar dust. There is a description of the aerogel, the trajectory, and views of the Stardust Sample Return Capsule (SRC), Cometary and Interstellar Dust Analyzer (CIDA) instrument, and the JPL designed camera. Also included is a timeline of the projected release of data to the Planetary Data System.

Wild 2↗
NASA NTRS2012

Complex Protostellar Chemistry

Two decades ago, our understanding of the chemistry in protostars was simple-matter either fell into the central star or was trapped in planetary-scale objects. Some minor chemical changes might occur as the dust and gas fell inward, but such effects were overwhelmed by the much larger scale processes that occurred even in bodies as small as asteroids. The chemistry that did occur in the nebula was relatively easy to model because the fall from the cold molecular cloud into the growing star was a one-way trip down a well-known temperature-pressure gradient; the only free variable was time. However, just over 10 years ago it was suggested that some material could be processed in the inner nebula, flow outward, and become incorporated into comets (1, 2). This outward flow was confirmed when the Stardust mission returned crystalline mineral fragments (3) from Comet Wild 2 that must have been processed close to the Sun before they were incorporated into the comet. In this week's Science Express, Ciesla and Sandford (4) demonstrate that even the outermost regions of the solar nebula can be a chemically active environment. Their finding could have consequences for the rest of the nebula.

Nuth, Joseph A., III↗
NASA NTRS2023

An Improved Hf Vapor Etching Apparatus for Stardust Particle Extraction

Introduction: The NASA Stardust mission captured thousands of particles from the Jupiter-family comet 81P/Wild 2 in a collector composed of aluminum foil and blocks of silica aerogel [1]. To date, most Wild 2 particles available for study are relatively large and coherent particles extracted individually from the ends of hollow, carrot-shaped impact tracks produced during impact into aerogel. However, >65% of the impacting mass can be found in the ‘bulb’ of the track, including nearly all of the <1 μm size fraction [2]. This fraction contains organic-rich material and is likely to include presolar grains, representing a critical opportunity to constrain the organic and presolar inventory of primitive outer solar system materials. However, the small size and susceptibility of this fraction to melting or alteration during capture poses significant analytical challenges. Previous attempts to extract and concentrate fine-grained material from the bulb of Stardust tracks have attempted to develop techniques that efficiently destroy aerogel and leave impactor particles relatively unharmed. The low density and high porosity of silica aerogel makes it more susceptible to attack by etching with hydrofluoric acid (HF) [3] or CF4 plasma ashing [4] than collected cometary silicates. Previous studies of HF vapor etching used HF solutions varying between 5 to 49% and noted that at high concentrations and etch rates, a liquid droplet was produced according to the etching reaction 4HF + SiO2 → SiF4 (g) + 2H2O [3]. SiF4 readily decomposes into HF and silicic acid in water, which has the potential to alter the freed cometary silicates. The plasma ashing technique avoids production of a liquid droplet and minimizes damage to embedded silicates but requires specialized equipment [4]. In this abstract, we present recent improvements to the HF etching procedure with the aim of constructing an etching chamber capable of slowly etching silica aerogel using small quantities of dilute HF. The etching chamber can be assembled using readily available materials.

Stardust↗
NASA NTRS2006

Sample Return from the Stardust Mission

On January 2,2004, the STARDUST spacecraft made a close flyby (236 km) of the nucleus of a comet - Comet Wild 2. During the flyby the spacecraft collected samples of dust from the coma of the comet. These samples were successfully returned to Earth on January 15,2006. After a six month preliminary examination to establish the nature of the returned samples, they will be made available to the general scientific community for study. STARDUST is one of the missions carried out under NASA's Discovery Mission Program. During my talk I will present a brief overview of the scientific goals of the STARDUST mission and describe the mission's design and flight. I will also discuss the reentry and recovery of the Stardust Sample Return Capsule (SRC) in Utah, with an emphasis on those aspects of the recovery important for minimizing the degree of contamination (particularly organic contamination) of the samples. Finally, I will discuss some of the results coming out of the preliminary examination of the returned samples, with an emphasis on the nature of organic materials found in the samples.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Stardust Discovery Mission - Returning Unique Samples of Early Solar System Organics

On January 2,2004, the STARDUST spacecraft made the closest ever flyby (236 km) of the nucleus of a comet - Comet Wild 2. During the flyby the spacecraft collected samples of dust from the coma of the comet. These samples were successfully returned to Earth on January 15,2006. After a six-month preliminary examination to establish the nature of the returned samples, they will be made available to the general scientific community for study. During my talk I will discuss the scientific goals of the STARDUST mission and provide a brief overview of the mission's design and flight. I will also discuss the recovery of the Stardust Sample Return Capsule (SRC), with an emphasis on those aspects of the recovery important for minimizing the degree of contamination (particularly organic contamination) of the samples. Finally, the first samples are only just now being distributed for preliminary examination, but I hope to be able to talk about some of the preliminary findings from the returned comet samples.

Sandford, Scott↗
NASA NTRS2011

Stardust Interstellar Foils I1061N,1 and I1031N, 1: First Results from Automated Crater Searches and Future Analytical Possibilities

In addition to samples from comet 81P/Wild 2, NASA's Stardust mission may have returned the first samples of contemporary interstellar dust. The interstellar tray collected particles for 229 days during two exposures prior to the spacecraft encounter with Wild 2 and tracked the interstellar dust stream for all but 34 days of that time. In addition to aerogel capture cells, the tray contains Al foils that make up approx.15% of the total exposed collection surface . Interstellar dust fluxes are poorly constrained, but suggest that on the order of 12-15 particles may have impacted the total exposed foil area of 15,300 sq mm; 2/3 of these are estimated to be less than approx.1 micrometer in size . Examination of the interstellar foils to locate the small rare craters expected from these impacts is proceeding under the auspices of the Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE) plan. Below we outline the automated high-resolution imaging protocol we have established for this work and report results obtained from two interstellar foils.

Zolensky, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Surviving High-temperature Components in CI Chondrites

The CI1 chondrites, while having the most solar-like compo-sition of any astromaterial available for laboratory analysis, have also been considerably altered by asteroidal processes including aqueous alteration. It is of fundamental importance to determine their pre-alteration mineralogy, so that the state of matter in the early Solar System can be better determined. In the course of a re-examination of the compositional range of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene in CI chondrites Orgueil, Ivuna and Alais [1] we found the first reported complete CAI, as already reported [2], with at-tached rock consisting mainly of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene. The range of residual olivine major element compositions we have determined in the CIs (Fig. 1) may now be directly com-pared with those of other astromaterials, including Wild 2 grains. The abundance of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene in CIs is higher than is generally appreciated, and in fact much higher than for some CMs [1]. We also noted numerous rounded objects varying in shape from spheres to oblate spheroids, and ranging up to 100μm in size (Fig. 2), which have been previously noted [3] but have not been well documented or appreciated. We characterized the mineralogy by transmission electron microscopy and found that they consist mainly of rather fine-grained, flaky single phase to intergrown serpentine and saponite. These two materials in fact dominate the bulk of the host CI1 chondrites. With the exception of sparse spinels, the rounded phyllosilicate objects are remarka-bly free of other minerals, suggesting that the precursor from which the phyllosilicates were derived was a homogeneous mate-rial. We suggest that these round phyllosilicates aggregates in CI1 chondrites were cryptocrystalline to glassy microchondrules. If so then CI chondrites cannot be considered chondrule-free. Small though they are, the abundance of these putative microchondrules is the same as that of chondrules in the Tagish Lake meteorite.

Zolensky, M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Stardust: The Adventure has Begun

The NASA Discovery STARDUST Mission was launched in February, 1999 to fly through the coma of P/Wild 2 in January, 2004 and return captured cometary and interplanetary dust particles to earth in January, 2006 for detailed analyses by the international science community. The STARDUST spacecraft is carrying a dust collector employing JPL Aerogel for collecting interstellar dust during interplanetary cruise and cometary dust during Wild 2 flyby. Additional instrumentation include the MPI fur Extraterrestrische Physik Cometary and Interplanetary Dust Analyzer, the University of Chicago Dust Flux Monitor and the JPL Imaging Camera. Doppler tracking of the spacecraft and high rate attitude orientation and body-fixed rate data from engineering subsystems will also provide science information. The presentation will describe the mission, scientific objectives and current state of the spacecraft in detail.

Duxbury, Thomas C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Dynamical Model for the Zodiacal Cloud and Sporadic Meteors

The solar system is dusty, and would become dustier over time as asteroids collide and comets disintegrate, except that small debris particles in interplanetary space do not last long. They can be ejected from the solar system by Jupiter, thermally destroyed near the Sun, or physically disrupted by collisions. Also, some are swept by the Earth (and other planets), producing meteors. Here we develop a dynamical model for the solar system meteoroids and use it to explain meteor radar observations. We find that the Jupiter Family Comets (JFCs) are the main source of the prominent concentrations of meteors arriving to the Earth from the helion and antihelion directions. To match the radiant and orbit distributions, as measured by the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR) and Advanced Meteor Orbit Radar (AMOR), our model implies that comets, and JFCs in particular, must frequently disintegrate when reaching orbits with low perihelion distance. Also, the collisional lifetimes of millimeter particles may be longer (approx. > 10(exp 5) yr at 1 AU) than postulated in the standard collisional models (approx 10(exp 4) yr at 1 AU), perhaps because these chondrule-sized meteoroids are stronger than thought before. Using observations of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) to calibrate the model, we find that the total cross section and mass of small meteoroids in the inner solar system are (1.7-3.5) 10(exp 11) sq km and approx. 4 10(exp 19) g, respectively, in a good agreement with previous studies. The mass input required to keep the Zodiacal Cloud (ZC) in a steady state is estimated to be approx. 10(exp 4)-10(exp 5) kg/s. The input is up to approx 10 times larger than found previously, mainly because particles released closer to the Sun have shorter collisional lifetimes, and need to be supplied at a faster rate. The total mass accreted by the Earth in particles between diameters D = 5 micron and 1 cm is found to be approx 15,000 tons/yr (factor of 2 uncertainty), which is a large share of the accretion flux measured by the Long Term Duration Facility (LDEF). Majority of JFC particles plunge into the upper atmosphere at <15 km/s speeds, should survive the atmospheric entry, and can produce micrometeorite falls. This could explain the compositional similarity of samples collected in the Antarctic ice and stratosphere, and those brought from comet Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft. Meteor radars such as CMOR and AMOR see only a fraction of the accretion flux (approx 1- 10% and approx 10-50%, respectively), because small particles impacting at low speeds produce ionization levels that are below these radars detection capabilities.

Nesvorny, David↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Stardust Sample Return Mission

The NASA Discovery-class Stardust comet sample return mission collected samples from the coma of Comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for study in 2006. The samples were collected at hypervelocities using low-density aerogel as the spacecraft did a flyby of the comet’s nucleus. In this talk, I will begin by giving an overview of the mission that covers (i) the mission design, (ii) the spacecraft, and (iii) the spacecraft’s encounter with Comet/81P Wild 2 and its subsequent return to Earth. This will be followed by a discussion of many of the principal scientific discoveries that resulted from both the comet flyby and the study of the returned samples in terrestrial laboratories (discoveries that will continue to grow as the returned samples continue to be studied in the future).

Comets↗
NASA NTRS2017

Ion Microprobe Measurements of Comet Dust and Implications for Models of Oxygen Isotope Heterogeneity in the Solar System

The oxygen isotopic compositions of anhydrous minerals in carbonaceous chondrites reflect mixing between a O-16-rich and O-17, O18-rich reservoir. The UV photodissociation of CO (i.e. selfshielding) has been proposed as a mass-independent mechanism for producing these isotopically distinct reservoirs. Self-shielding models predict the composition for the CO gas reservoir to be O-16-rich, and that the accreting primordial dust was in isotopic equilibrium with the gaseous reservoir [1, 2]. Self-shielding also predicts that cometary water, presumed to represent the O-17, O-18-rich reservoir, should be enriched in O-17 and O-18, with compositions of 200 -1000per mille, and that the interaction with this O-17, O-18-rich H2O reservoir altered the compositions of the primordial dust toward planetary values. The bulk composition of the solar nebula, which may be an approximation to the 16O-rich gaseous reservoir, has been constrained by the Genesis results [3]. However, material representing the O-17, O-18-rich end-member is rare [4], and dust representing the original accreting primordial dust has been challenging to conclusively identify in current collections. Anhydrous dust from comets, which accreted in the distal cold regions of the nebula at temperatures below approximately 30K, may provide the best opportunity to measure the oxygen isotope composition of primordial dust. Chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (CP-IDPs) have been suggested as having cometary origins [5]; however, until direct comparisons with dust from a known comet parent body were made, link between CP-IDPs and comets remained circumstantial. Oxygen isotope analyses of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 collected by NASA's Stardust mission have revealed surprising similarities to minerals in carbonaceous chondrites which have been interpreted as evidence for large scale radial migration of dust components from the inner solar nebula to the accretion regions of Jupiter- family comets [6]. These studies have been largely focused on the coarse-grained terminal particles extracted from aerogel collectors; hypervelocity capture into aerogel resulted in fine-grained material that was melted and intimately mixed with the SiO2 capture medium. Hypervelocity impacts into Al foils surrounding the aerogel tiles produced impact craters that captured material from the impactor without significant oxygen contamination, allowing for analysis of both the coarse and fine-grained components of the Wild 2 dust. To date, no particles with definitive hydrated mineralogy have been observed in Stardust samples, though this may be a result of alteration due to hypervelocity capture. High-carbon hydrated CS-IDPs have been suggested as resulting from the aqueous alteration of CP-IDPs [7], and may retain evidence for interaction with O-17, O-18-enriched "cometary" water predicted by CO self-shielding. Here we present results of oxygen isotope measurements of twelve Stardust foil craters and four C-rich hydrated IDPs [8, 9], and discuss implications for models of oxygen isotope heterogeneity in the early solar system.

Snead, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The selection of comets for future space missions

The criteria used to select a short period comet for possible future rendezvous space missions are stated and the selection process is outlined. For the time period 1900-2000, several candidate comets offer opportunities for spacecraft rendezvous. Two of the best candidates are periodic comets Kopff and Wild 2.

Yeomans, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Interplanetary trajectory design for the Mariner Mark II Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Flyby mission

The primary purpose of the first mission utilizing a Mariner Mark II spacecraft will be to rendezvous with the short-period comet Wild 2 and conduct a proximal examination during the comet's quiescent and active phases. The purpose of the present study is to elucidate, using an accurate dynamic model, some of the characteristics of the interplanetary trajectory that are relevant to the mission design. Optimal transfer trajectories are generated, constrained by the Shuttle/Centaur launch vehicle capability and the total spacecraft mass and performance. Asteroid flyby opportunities are examined, and the effects of selected asteroid encounters on mission performance are discussed.

Myers, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Comet nucleus and asteroid sample return missions

During the 1991-92 academic year, the Pennsylvania State University has developed three sample return missions: one to the nucleus of comet Wild 2, one to the asteroid Eros, and one to three asteroids located in the Main Belt. The primary objective of the comet nucleus sample return mission is to rendezvous with a short period comet and acquire a 10 kg sample for return to Earth. Upon rendezvous with the comet, a tethered coring and sampler drill will contact the surface and extract a two-meter core sample from the target site. Before the spacecraft returns to Earth, a monitoring penetrator containing scientific instruments will be deployed for gathering long-term data about the comet. A single asteroid sample return mission to the asteroid 433 Eros (chosen for proximity and launch opportunities) will extract a sample from the asteroid surface for return to Earth. To limit overall mission cost, most of the mission design uses current technologies, except the sampler drill design. The multiple asteroid sample return mission could best be characterized through its use of future technology including an optical communications system, a nuclear power reactor, and a low-thrust propulsion system. A low-thrust trajectory optimization code (QuickTop 2) obtained from the NASA LeRC helped in planning the size of major subsystem components, as well as the trajectory between targets.

Melton, Robert G.↗