SHOTPUT: A JPL Planetary Summer Science School study

Abstract

During 2015, a unique launch opportunity exists that allows for a New-Frontiers-class mission to discover a compositional gradient of small bodies in our solar system. The proposed seven year mission includes a flyby of main belt asteroid (108144) 2001 HM1, a flyby and impactor release (a la Deep Impact) at the Trojan asteroid (624) Hektor (a suspected contact binary) with companion P/2006, and a flyby with impactor release at the Centaur asteroid 39P/Oterma. The variety of types and positions of these small bodies will help answer some of the fundamental questions we have for the evolution and composition of our solar system. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Planetary Science Summer School team has designed a mission designed to address all of these scientific questions and design objectives. We will describe instrument selection, launch dates and mission timetables, measurement and encounter strategies, impactor design and benefits, data acquisition and communication tradeoffs and provide background into the mission science goals. Furthermore, cost estimates and a work breakdown will be provided to prove the practicality 978-1-4244-2622-5/09/$25.00 copy2009 IEEE. IEEEAC paper #1634, Version 2, Updated Jan 7, 2009 of meeting all the science objectives within a short period of time. A strategy for the development of our system based upon previously used instruments and hardware will also be presented.