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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1992

Deflection and Fragmentation of Near-Earth Asteroids

Collisions by near-earth asteroids or the nuclei of comets pose varying levels of threat to man. A relatively small object, approximately 100 m diameter, which might be found on an impact trajectory with a populated region of the Earth, could potentially be diverted with a velocity of approximately1 cm/sec from an Earth impacting trajectory by impact (at 12 km/sec) by a rocket launched, 10^2 to 10^3 Kg impactor. For larger bodies, the use of kinetic energy impactors appear impractical because of the larger mass requirement. For any size object, nuclear explosions appear to be more efficient, using either the prompt blow-off from neutron radiation, the impulse from ejecta of a near-surface explosion for deflection, or, least efficiently, as a fragmenting charge.

Harris, Alan W.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Catching a Rolling Stone: Dynamics and Control of a Spacecraft and an Asteroid

In a recent report, a robotic spacecraft mission is proposed for the purpose of collecting a small asteroid, or a small part of a large one, and transporting it to an orbit in the Earth-Moon system. Such an undertaking will require solutions to many of the engineering problems associated with deflection of an asteroid that poses a danger to Earth. In both cases, it may be necessary for a spacecraft to approach an asteroid from a nearby position, hover for some amount of time, move with the same angular velocity as the asteroid, descend, perhaps ascend, and finally arrest the angular velocity of the asteroid. Dynamics and control in each of these activities is analyzed in order to determine the velocity increments and control torque that must be provided by a reaction control system, and the mass of the propellant that will be consumed. Two attitude control algorithms are developed, one to deal with synchronizing the spacecraft s angular velocity with that of the asteroid, and the other to arrest the asteroid s angular velocity. A novel approach is proposed for saving fuel in the latter case.

Roithmayr, Carlos M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Deflection Assessment for a Gravity Tractor Spacecraft

One proposed method to deflect a potential Earth impacting asteroid is via the “gravity tractor” method. Here, a spacecraft, hovering close to an asteroid using ion engines, uses its gravitational pull to change the asteroid?s orbit away from an impacting path. The proposed Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission was slated to demonstrate the feasibility of this technique on the asteroid 2008EV5, and measure the amount of deflection. In this paper, the questions of how long the tractoring needs to be to cause a measurable deflection, and how the spacecraft can be used to measure it were examined.

Bhaskaran, Shyam↗
NASA NTRS2017

Spacecraft Mission Design for the Mitigation of the 2017 PDC Hypothetical Asteroid Threat

This paper presents a detailed mission design analysis results for the 2017 Planetary Defense Conference (PDC) Hypothetical Asteroid Impact Scenario, documented at https:cneos.jpl.nasa.govpdcspdc17. The mission design includes campaigns for both reconnaissance (flyby or rendezvous) of the asteroid (to characterize it and the nature of the threat it poses to Earth) and mitigation of the asteroid, via kinetic impactor deflection, nuclear explosive device (NED) deflection, or NED disruption. Relevant scenario parameters are varied to assess the sensitivity of the design outcome, such as asteroid bulk density, asteroid diameter, momentum enhancement factor, spacecraft launch vehicle, and mitigation system type. Different trajectory types are evaluated in the mission design process from purely ballistic to those involving optimal midcourse maneuvers, planetary gravity assists, and/or low-thrust solar electric propulsion. The trajectory optimization is targeted around peak deflection points that were found through a novel linear numerical technique method. The optimization process includes constrain parameters, such as Earth departure date, launch declination, spacecraft, asteroid relative velocity and solar phase angle, spacecraft dry mass, minimum/maximum spacecraft distances from Sun and Earth, and Earth-spacecraft communications line of sight. Results show that one of the best options for the 2017 PDC deflection is solar electric propelled rendezvous mission with a single spacecraft using NED for the deflection.

Barbee, Brent W.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Spacecraft Mission Design for the Mitigation of the 2017 PDC Hypothetical Asteroid Threat

This paper presents a detailed mission design analysis results for the 2017 Planetary Defense Conference (PDC) Hypothetical Asteroid Impact Scenario, documented at https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/ pd/cs/pdc17/. The mission design includes campaigns for both reconnaissance (flyby or rendezvous) of the asteroid (to characterize it and the nature of the threat it poses to Earth) and mitigation of the asteroid, via kinetic impactor deflection, nuclear explosive device (NED) deflection, or NED disruption. Relevant scenario parameters are varied to assess the sensitivity of the design outcome, such as asteroid bulk density, asteroid diameter, momentum enhancement factor, spacecraft launch vehicle, and mitigation system type. Different trajectory types are evaluated in the mission design process from purely ballistic to those involving optimal midcourse maneuvers, planetary gravity assists, and/or lowthrust solar electric propulsion. The trajectory optimization is targeted around peak deflection points that were found through a novel linear numerical technique method. The optimization process includes constrain parameters, such as Earth departure date, launch declination, spacecraft/asteroid relative velocity and solar phase angle, spacecraft dry mass, minimum/maximum spacecraft distances from Sun and Earth, and Earth/spacecraft communications line of sight. Results show that one of the best options for the 2017 PDC deflection is solar electric propelled rendezvous mission with a single spacecraft using NED for the deflection

Barbee, Brent W.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Studies of Short Time Response Options for Potentially Hazardous Objects: Current and Forthcoming Results

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory(LANL), and Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) are collaborating on Planetary Defense Research. The research program is organized around three case studies: 1. Deflection of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) 101955 Bennu (1999 RQ36)[OSIRIS-REx mission target], 2. Deflection of the secondary member of the PHA 65803 Didymos (1996 GT) [DART mission target], 3. Deflection of a scaled-down version of the comet 67PChuryumov-Gerasimenko [Rosetta mission target]. NASAGSFC is providing astrodynamics and spacecraft mission design expertise, while NNSA, DOE, LLNL, LANL and SNL are providing expertise in modeling the effects of kinetic impactor spacecraft and nuclear explosive devices on the target objects.

Mission Design↗
NASA NTRS2017

Options and Uncertainties in Planetary Defense: Mission Planning and Vehicle Design for Flexible Response

This paper is part of an integrated study by NASA and the NNSA to quantitatively understand the response timeframe should a threatening Earth-impacting near-Earth object (NEO) be identified. The two realistic responses considered are the use of a spacecraft functioning as either a kinetic impactor or a nuclear explosive carrier to deflect the approaching NEO. The choice depends on the NEO size and mass, the available response time prior to Earth impact, and the various uncertainties. Whenever practical, the kinetic impactor is the preferred approach, but various factors, such as large uncertainties or short available response time, reduce the kinetic impactor's suitability and, ultimately, eliminate its sufficiency. Herein we examine response time and the activities that occur between the time when an NEO is recognized as being a sufficient threat to require a deflection and the time when the deflection impulse is applied to the NEO. To use a kinetic impactor for successful deflection of an NEO, it is essential to minimize the reaction time and maximize the time available for the impulse delivered to the NEO by the kinetic impactor to integrate forward in time to the eventual deflection of the NEO away from Earth impact. To shorten the response time, we develop tools to survey the profile of needed spacecraft launches and the possible mission payloads. We further present a vehicle design capable of either serving as a kinetic impactor, or, if the need arises, serving as a system to transport a nuclear explosive to the NEO. These results are generated by analyzing a specific case study in which the simulated Earth-impacting NEO is modeled very closely after the real NEO known as 101955 Bennu (1999 RQ36). Bennu was selected for our case study in part because it is the best-studied of the known NEOs. It is also the destination of NASA's OSIRIS-REx sample return mission, which is, at the time of this writing, enroute to Bennu following a September 2016 launch.

characterization↗
NASA NTRS2015

Los Alamos RAGE Simulations of the HAIV Mission Concept

The mitigation of potentially hazardous objects (PHOs) can be accomplished by a variety of methods including kinetic impactors, gravity tractors and several nuclear explosion options. Depending on the available lead time prior to Earth impact, non- nuclear options can be very effective at altering a PHOs orbit. However if the warning time is short nuclear options are generally deemed most effective at mitigating the hazard. The NIAC mission concept for a nuclear mission has been presented at several meetings, including the last PDC (2013).We use the adaptive mesh hydrocode RAGE to perform detailed simulations of this Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) mission concept. We use the RAGE code to simulate the crater formation by the kinetic impactor as well as the explosion and energy coupling from the follower nuclear explosive device (NED) timed to detonate below the original surface to enhance the energy coupling. The RAGE code has been well validated for a wide variety of applications. A parametric study will be shown of the energy and momentum transfer to the target 100 m diameter object: 1) the HAIV mission as planned; 2) a surface explosion and 3) a subsurface (contained) explosion; both 2) and 3) use the same source energy as 1).Preliminary RAGE simulations show that the kinetic impactor will carve out a surface crater on the object and the subsequent NED explosion at the bottom of the crater transfers energy and momentum to the target effectively moving it off its Earth crossing orbit. Figure 1 shows the initial (simplified) RAGE 2D setup geometry for this study. Figure 2 shows the crater created by the kinetic impactor and Figure 3 shows the time sequence of the energy transfer to the target by the NED.

Asteroid Mitigation↗
NASA NTRS2026

Space Mission Options for Reconnaissance and Mitigation of Asteroid 2024 YR4

Near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR 4 was discovered on 2024-12-27 and its probability of Earth impact in December 2032 peaked at about 3% on 2025-02-18. Additional observations ruled out Earth impact by 2025-02-23. However, the probability of lunar impact in December 2032 then rose, reaching about 4% by the end of the apparition in May 2025. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations on 2025-03-26 estimated the asteroid's diameter at 60 +/- 7 m. Studies of 2024 YR 4 's potential lunar impact effects suggest lunar ejecta could increase micrometeoroid debris flux in low Earth orbit up to 1000 times above background levels over just a few days, possibly threatening astronauts and spacecraft. In this work, we present options for space missions to 2024 YR 4 that could be utilized if lunar impact is confirmed. We cover flyby & rendezvous reconnaissance, deflection, and robust disruption of the asteroid. We examine both rapid-response and delayed launch options through 2032. We evaluate chemical and solar electric propulsion, various launch vehicles, optimized deep space maneuvers, and gravity assists. Re-tasking extant spacecraft and using built spacecraft not yet launched are also considered. The best reconnaissance mission options launch in late 2028, leaving only approximately three years for development at the time of this writing in August 2025. Deflection missions were assessed and appear impractical. However, kinetic robust disruption missions are available with launches between April 2030 and April 2032. Nuclear robust disruption missions are also available with launches between late 2029 and late 2031. Finally, even if lunar impact is ruled out there is significant potential utility in deploying a reconnaissance mission to characterize the asteroid.

Asteroid Disruption↗
NASA NTRS2015

Enhanced Gravity Tractor Technique for Planetary Defense

Given sufficient warning time, Earth-impacting asteroids and comets can be deflected with a variety of different "slow push/pull" techniques. The gravity tractor is one technique that uses the gravitational attraction of a rendezvous spacecraft to the impactor and a low-thrust, high-efficiency propulsion system to provide a gradual velocity change and alter its trajectory. An innovation to this technique, known as the Enhanced Gravity Tractor (EGT), uses mass collected in-situ to augment the mass of the spacecraft, thereby greatly increasing the gravitational force between the objects. The collected material can be a single boulder, multiple boulders, regolith or a combination of different sources. The collected mass would likely range from tens to hundreds of metric tons depending on the size of the impactor and warning time available. Depending on the propulsion system's capability and the mass collected, the EGT approach can reduce the deflection times by a factor of 10 to 50 or more, thus reducing the deflection times of several decades to years or less and overcoming the main criticism of the traditional gravity tractor approach. Additionally, multiple spacecraft can orbit the target in formation to provide the necessary velocity change and further reduce the time needed by the EGT technique to divert hazardous asteroids and comets. The robotic segment of NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) will collect a multi-ton boulder from the surface of a large Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) and will provide the first ever demonstration of the EGT technique and validate one method of collecting in-situ mass on an asteroid of hazardous size.

Mazanek, Daniel D.↗
NASA NTRS2015

NEOShield: Design of a Gravity Tractor Demonstration Mission

The Mission Design Division at NASA Ames Research Center has begun a program to develop mission designs for planetary defense. Here we present a mission design for a gravity tractor demonstration mission completed in collaboration with the European NEOShield consortium.We conducted a trade study to identify suitable target NEOs to demonstrate GT deflection, and identified 5 known asteroids with diameters between 100m and 500m that have been well studied in the past: 2000 FJ10, 2001 QC34, 2002 DU3, 2001 JV1 and 1998 VO. We selected 2000 FJ10 as the most suitable target to meet the requirements of a GT demonstration mission.Our GT demonstration spacecraft is based on an ESPA ring main structure and solar electric propulsion (SEP, see Figure 1). The power budget is 4 kW and the spacecraft has an initial wet mass of 1,150 kg. The spacecraft would launch in the 3rd quarter of 2026 aboard a Falcon 9, arriving at 2000 FJ10 in early 2029 after an unpowered Mars gravity assist in 2027. The spacecraft mass at asteroid arrival would be 1,100 kg.

Faber, N. T.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Planetary Defense: Options for Deflection of Near Earth Objects

Several recent near-miss encounters with asteroids and comets have focused attention on the threat of a catastrophic impact with the Earth. This document reviews the historical impact record and current understanding of the number and location of Near Earth Objects (NEO’s) to address their impact probability. Various ongoing projects intended to survey and catalog the NEO population are also reviewed. Details are then given of an MSFC-led study, intended to develop and assess various candidate systems for protection of the Earth against NEO’s. An existing program, used to model the NEO threat, was extensively modified and is presented here. Details of various analytical tools, developed to evaluate the performance of proposed technologies for protection against the NEO threat, are also presented. Trajectory tools, developed to model the outbound path a vehicle would take to intercept or rendezvous with a target asteroid or comet, are described. Also, details are given of a tool that was created to model both the un-deflected inbound path of an NEO as well as the modified, post-deflection, path. The number of possible options available for protection against the NEO threat was too numerous for them to all be addressed within the study; instead, a representative selection were modeled and evaluated. The major output from this work was a novel process by which the relative effectiveness of different threat mitigation concepts can be evaluated during future, more detailed, studies. In addition, several new or modified mathematical models were developed to analyze various proposed protection systems. A summary of the major lessons learned during this study is presented, as are recommendations for future work. It is hoped that this study will serve to raise the level attention about this very real threat and also demonstrate that successful defense is both possible and practicable, provided appropriate steps are taken.

Planets↗
NASA NTRS2002

Imaging the interiors of near-earth objects with radio reflection tomography

Scenarios for mitigation of asteroid comet collisions include the use of explosives to deflect or destroythe projectile. However, as demonstrated by Asphaug et al.( 1998), the outcome of explosive energy transfer to an asteroid or comet (via a bomb or a hypervelocity impact) is extremely sensitive to the pre-existing configuration of fractures and voids.

radio reflection tomography↗
NASA NTRS2021

Mathematical Model Development and Experimental Verification of Electromagnetic Force Actuators for use in Space Applications

This technical memorandum shows the development of the mathematics needed to model several types of electromagnetic force actuators that may be of interest for use in space applications. The actuators described are capable of providing attractive, repulsive, and longitudinal forces between the actuator and a variety of metal surfaces. Potential applications for these propellant free actuators include spacecraft docking, in-space fabrication, robotic spacecraft inspection and servicing, deflection of metallic debris, and interaction with iron core asteroids (e.g., landing, repelling, and relocating).

Robert C. Youngquist↗