Project Lyra: Catching 1I/'Oumuamua - Mission Opportunities After 2024 (original) (raw)
In October 2017, the first interstellar object within our solar system was discovered. Today designated 1I/'Oumuamua, it shows characteristics that have never before been observed in a celestial body. Due to these characteristics, an in-situ investigation of 1I would be of extraordinary scientific value. Previous studies have demonstrated that a mission to 1I/'Oumuamua is feasible using current and near-term technologies however with an anticipated launch date of 2020-2021, this is too soon to be realistic. This paper aims at addressing the question of the feasibility of a mission to 1I/'Oumuamua in 2024 and beyond. Using the OITS trajectory simulation tool, various scenarios are analyzed, including a powered Jupiter flyby and Solar Oberth maneuver, a Jupiter powered flyby, and more complex flyby schemes including a Mars and Venus flyby. With a powered Jupiter flyby and Solar Oberth maneuver, we identify a trajectory to 1I/'Oumuamua with a launch date in 2033, a total velocity increment of 18.2 km/s, and arrival at 1I/'Oumuamua in 2048. With an additional deep space maneuver before the powered Jupiter flyby, a trajectory with a launch date in 2030, a total velocity increment of 15.3 km/s, and an arrival at 1I/'Oumuamua in 2052 were identified. Both launch dates would provide over a decade for spacecraft development, in contrast to the previously identified 2020-2021 launch dates. Furthermore, the distance from the Sun at the Oberth burn is at 5 Solar radii. This results in heat flux values, which are of the same order of magnitude as for the Parker Solar Probe. We conclude that a mission to 1I/'Oumuamua is feasible, using existing and near-term technologies and there is sufficient time for developing such a mission.
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Project Lyra: A Mission to 1I/'Oumuamua without Solar Oberth Manoeuvre
Arxiv
To settle the question of the nature of the interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua requires in-situ observations via a spacecraft, as the object is already out of range of existing telescopes. Most previous proposals for reaching 1I/'Oumuamua using near-term technologies are based on the Solar Oberth Manoeuvre (SOM), as trajectories without the SOM are generally significantly inferior in terms of lower mission duration and higher total velocity requirement. While the SOM allows huge velocity gains, it is also technically challenging and thereby increases programmatic and mission-related risks. In this paper, we identify an alternative route to the interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua, based on a launch in 2028, which does not require a SOM but has a similar performance as missions with a SOM. It instead employs a Jupiter Oberth Manoeuvre (JOM) with a total time of flight of around 26 years or so. The efficacy of this trajectory is a result of it significantly reducing the ∆V to Jupiter by exploiting the VEEGA sequence. The total ∆V of the trajectory is 15.8 km s −1 and the corresponding payload mass is 115 kg for a SLS Block 1B or 241 kg for a Block 2. A further advantage of the JOM is that the arrival speed relative to 1I/'Oumuamua is approximately 18 km s −1 , much lower than the equivalent for the SOM of around 30 km s −1 .
Project Lyra: Sending a Spacecraft to 1I/'Oumuamua (former A/2017 U1), the Interstellar Asteroid
The first definitely interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua (previously A/2017 U1) observed in our solar system provides the opportunity to directly study material from other star systems. Can such objects be intercepted? The challenge of reaching the object within a reasonable timeframe is formidable due to its high heliocentric hyperbolic excess velocity of about 26 km/s; much faster than any vehicle yet launched. This paper presents a high-level analysis of potential near-term options for such a mission. Launching a spacecraft in a reasonable timeframe of 5-10 years requires a hyperbolic solar system excess velocity between 33 to 76 km/s for mission durations between 30 to 5 years. Different mission durations and their velocity requirements are explored with respect to the launch date, assuming direct impulsive transfer to the intercept trajectory. Several technology options are outlined, ranging from a close solar Oberth Maneuver using chemical propulsion, and the more advanced options of solar and laser sails. To maximize science return decelerating the spacecraft at 'Oumuamua is highly desirable, due to the minimal science return from a hyper-velocity encounter. It is concluded that although reaching the object is challenging, there seem to be viable options based on current and near-term technology.
Investigating the dynamical history of the interstellar object ’Oumuamua
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Here we try to find the origin of 1I/2017 U1 ’Oumuamua, the first interstellar object recorded inside the solar system. To this aim, we searched for close encounters between ’Oumuamua and all nearby stars with known kinematic data during their past motion. We had checked over 200 thousand stars and found just a handful of candidates. If we limit our investigation to within a 60 pc sphere surrounding the Sun, then the most probable candidate for the ’Oumuamua parent stellar habitat is the star UCAC4 535-065571. However GJ 876 is also a favourable candidate. However, the origin of ’Oumuamua from a much more distant source is still an open question. Additionally, we found that the quality of the original orbit of ’Oumuamua is accurate enough for such a study and that none of the checked stars had perturbed its motion significantly. All numerical results of this research are available in the appendix.
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