OKEANOS

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OKEANOS
NamesOversize Kite-craft for Exploration and Astronautics in the Outer Solar system
Jupiter Trojan Asteroid Explorer
Mission typeTechnology demonstration,
Reconnaissance,
Possible sample return
OperatorJAXA
Mission duration≈12 years
>30 years for optional sample return
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeSolar sail
ManufacturerISAS and DLR
Launch mass1400 kg
Landing mass≈100 kg
Payload massSpacecraft: 30 kg
Lander: 20 kg [1]
DimensionsSail/solar panel:
40×40 m (1600 m2) [2]
Lander: 65 × 40 cm [1]
PowerMax: 5 kW at Jupiter [2]
Start of mission
Launch date2026
RocketH-IIA or H3[1]
Launch siteTanegashima Space Center
ContractorMitsubishi Heavy Industries
Jupiter Trojan lander
Landing date2039 [2]
Main telescope
WavelengthsInfrared
Transponders
BandX-band
Capacity16 Kbps [3]
Large Mission Class
 

OKEANOS (Oversize Kite-craft for Exploration and Astronautics in the Outer Solar system) was a proposed mission concept to

ion engine. In situ analysis of the collected samples would have been performed by either direct contact or using a lander carrying a high-resolution mass spectrometer. A sample-return to Earth was an option under study.[4]

OKEANOS was a finalist for Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)' 2nd Large Mission Class to be launched in 2026,[2][5][6] and possibly return Trojan asteroid samples to Earth in the 2050s.[6][7] The winning mission was LiteBIRD.

Overview

The OKEANOS mission was a concept first proposed in 2010 to fly together with the Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter (JMO) as part of the cancelled Europa Jupiter System Mission – Laplace.[8]

In its latest formulation, the OKEANOS mission and LiteBIRD were the two finalists of Japan's Large Mission Class by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. LiteBIRD, a cosmic microwave background astronomy telescope, was selected.[9]

Analyzing the composition of the

Jupiter Trojans may help scientists understand how the Solar System was formed. It would also help determine which of the competing hypotheses is right:[10] remnant planetesimals during the formation of Jupiter, or fossils of building blocks of Jupiter, or captured trans-Neptunian objects by planetary migration. The latest proposal included a lander to perform in situ analyses.[11][12] There were several options for this mission, and the most ambitious one proposed to retrieve and send samples to Earth for extensive investigations.[13] Had it been selected in April 2019 for development, the spacecraft would have launched in 2026,[2] and may had offered some synergy with Lucy spacecraft that will flyby multiple Jupiter Trojans in 2027.[14]

Spacecraft

The spacecraft was projected to have a mass of about 1,285 kg (2,833 lb) including a possible lander

The 1600 m2 sail would have had a dual purpose of solar sail propulsion and solar panel for power generation. If a lander had been included, its mass would have been no greater than 100 kg. The lander would have collected and analyzed samples from the asteroid. A more complex suggested concept would have had the lander take off again, rendezvous with the mothership and transfer the samples for their transport to Earth.

Solar sail and solar panels

The unique proposed sail was a hybrid that would have provided both photon propulsion and electric power. JAXA referred to the system as a Solar Power Sail.

ion engine for maneuvering and propulsion, especially for a possible sample-return trip to Earth.[4][6][7]

The spacecraft would have used solar sail technology initially developed for the successful

liquid crystal displays (LCD) on the outer edge of the sail so that the sunlight pressure would produce torque to change its orientation.[16]

Ion engine

The

ion engine intended for the mission was called μ10 HIsp. It was planned to have a specific impulse of 10,000 seconds, power of 2.5 kW, and a maximum thrust magnitude of 27 mN for each of the four engines.[17][18] The electric engine system would have been an improved version of the engine from the Hayabusa mission, used for maneuvering, and especially for an optional sample-return trip to Earth.[15][18] A study indicated the need for 191 kg of xenon propellant if it had been decided to bring a sample back to Earth.[18]

Lander

Lander
Parameter/units[1]

[19]

Mass ≤ 100 kg (220 lb)
Dimensions Cylindrical: 65 cm diameter
40 cm height
Power Non-rechargeable battery
Instruments
(≤ 20 kg)
Sampling Pneumatic
Depth: ≤1 m

The mission concept considered several scenarios, targets, and architectures. The most ambitious scenario contemplated in situ analysis and a sample-return using a lander. This lander concept was a collaboration among the

Raman spectrometer, a magnetometer, and a thermal radiometer.[20] The lander would have operated for about 20 hours using battery power.[1]

If a sample-return was to be performed, the lander would have taken off then, rendezvous and deliver the surface and subsurface samples to the mothership hovering above (at 50 km) for subsequent delivery to Earth within a reentry capsule.[5][3] The lander would have been discarded after the sample transfer.

Conceptual scientific payload

On the lander
[1]
On the spacecraft
  • Exo-Zodiacal Infrared Telescope (EXZIT) is a 10 cm-diameter telescope.[2][21]
  • Gamma-ray
    burst polarimeter (GAP-2)
  • Monostatic radar to image the body's internal structures [22]
Attached to the sail
[2]
  • Arrayed Large-area Dust Detectors (ALDN-2)
  • Magnetic Field Experiment (MGF-2) is a
    fluxgate magnetometer

GAP-2 and EXZIT were instruments for astronomical observations, and were not intended to be used for studying Trojan asteroids. The two would have conducted opportunistic surveys, taking advantage of the mission's trajectory. GAP-2 would have made it possible to locate the position of Gamma-ray bursts with high precision by pairing it with terrestrial observatories. EXZIT, as zodiacal light gets significantly weak beyond the asteroid belt, would have enabled the telescope to observe the cosmic infrared background. MGF-2 was a possible a successor of the MGF instrument on board the Arase satellite, and ALADDIN-2, GAP-2 were possible successors of the respective instruments onboard IKAROS.

See also

  • CubeSail – Planned solar sail spacecraft
  • DESTINY+ – Planned asteroid flyby mission by JAXA, using solar electric propulsion
  • IKAROS – First interplanetary solar sail spacecraft
  • LightSail 2
     – LEO solar sailing demo project
  • Lucy (spacecraft)
  • NanoSail-D2 – Satellite designed to test concept of solar sails
  • Near-Earth Asteroid Scout – Solar sail spacecraft
  • Lunar Flashlight – Lunar orbiter by NASA

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION IN THE SOLAR POWER SAIL OKEANOS MISSION TO A JUPITER TROJAN ASTEROID T. Okada, T. Iwata, J. Matsumoto, T. Chujo, Y. Kebukawa, J. Aoki, Y. Kawai, S. Yokota, Y. Saito, K. Terada, M. Toyoda, M. Ito, H. Yabuta, H. Yurimoto, C. Okamoto, S. Matsuura, K. Tsumura, D. Yonetoku, T. Mihara, A. Matsuoka, R. Nomura, H. Yano, T. Hirai, R. Nakamura, S. Ulamec, R. Jaumann, J.-P. Bibring, N. Grand, C. Szopa, E. Palomba, J. Helbert, A. Herique, M. Grott, H. U. Auster, G. Klingelhoefer, T. Saiki, H. Kato, O. Mori, J. Kawaguchi; 49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h INVESTIGATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM DISK STRUCTURE DURING THE CRUISING PHASE OF THE SOLAR POWER SAIL MISSION T. Iwata, T. Okada, S. Matsuura, K. Tsumura, H. Yano, T. Hirai, A. Matsuoka, R. Nomura, D. Yonetoku, T. Mihara, Y. Kebukawa, M. ito, M. Yoshikawa, J. Matsu-moto, T. Chujo, and O. Mori; 49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083)
  3. ^ a b c d e f Direct Exploration of Jupiter Trojan Asteroid using Solar Power Sail Archived 5 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Osamu Mori, Hideki Kato, et al. 2017
  4. ^ a b c d Sampling Scenario for the Trojan Asteroid Exploration Mission Archived 2017-12-31 at the Wayback Machine Jun Matsumoto, Jun Aoki, Yuske Oki, Hajime Yano; 2015
  5. ^ a b c Trajectory Design for Jovian Trojan Asteroid Exploration via Solar Power Sail Archived 31 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine Takanao Saiki, Osam Mori The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), JAXA 2017
  6. ^ a b c d e JAXA Sail to Jupiter's Trojan Asteroids Paul Gilster, Centauri Dreams 15 March 2017
  7. ^ a b c Huge sail will power JAXA mission to Trojan asteroids and back Shusuke Murai, The Japan Times 21 July 2016
  8. ^ Sasaki, Shio (2010). "Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter and Trojan Asteroid Explorer" (PDF). COSPAR. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  9. ^ Roadmap 2017 — Fundamental Concepts for Promoting Large Scientific Research Projects 28 July 2017
  10. ^ a b The Solar Power Sail Mission to Jupiter Trojans Archived 2015-12-31 at the Wayback Machine The 10th IAA International Conference on Low-Cost Planetary Missions 19 June 2013
  11. .
  12. .
  13. .
  14. ^ ISAS Small Body Exploration Strategy Archived 12 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine Lunar and Planetary Laboratory The University of Arizona-JAXA Workshop (2017)
  15. ^ a b c IKAROS and Solar Power Sail - Craft Missions for Outer Planetary Region Exploration Archived 2017-01-26 at the Wayback Machine J. Kawaguchi (JAXA) 15 June 2015
  16. ^ Lineup of Microwave Discharge Ion Engines JAXA
  17. ^ a b c Mission Analysis of Sample Return from Jovian Trojan Asteroid by Solar Power Sail Jun Matsumoto, Ryu Funase, et al. Trans. JSASS Aerospace Tech. Japan Vol. 12, No. ists29, pp. Pk_43-Pk_50, 2014
  18. ^ Science experiments on a Jupiter Trojan asteroid on the solar powered sail mission (PDF). O. Mori, T. Okada1, et al. 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2016).
  19. ^ Trojan asteroid probe (in Japanese) JAXA
  20. ^ EXZIT Telescope JAXA
  21. ^ Jupiter Trojan's shallow subsurface: direct observations by radar on board OKEANOS mission Alain Herique, Pierre Beck, Patrick Michel, Wlodek Kofman, Atsushi Kumamoto, Tatsuaki Okada, Dirk Plettemeier; EPSC Abstracts Vol. 12, EPSC2018-526, 2018 European Planetary Science Congress 2018