Asteroid Deflection Using a Spacecraft in Restricted Keplerian Motion

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel asteroid deflection method using a spacecraft in restricted Keplerian motion, which enhances force exertion and reduces fuel consumption compared to traditional gravity tractors, especially when employing multiple spacecraft.

Contribution

It introduces a new asteroid deflection technique utilizing a spacecraft's restricted Keplerian orbit, improving efficiency and enabling multi-spacecraft deployment without canted thrusters.

Findings

Significantly larger force exerted on asteroid compared to stationary gravity tractor

Reduced fuel consumption due to no need for canted thrusters

Enhanced deflection capability with multiple spacecraft

Abstract

A method for asteroid deflection that makes use of a spacecraft moving back and forth on a segment of an appropriate Keplerian orbit about the asteroid is described and evaluated. It is shown that, on average, the spacecraft describing such a trajectory can exert a significantly larger force on the asteroid than e.g. a stationary gravity tractor, thereby reducing the time needed to effect a desired velocity change for the asteroid. Furthermore, the current method does not require canted thrusters on the spacecraft (unlike a stationary gravity tractor), markedly reducing the amount of fuel needed to create a given change in the asteroid velocity. In addition, the method allows for the simultaneous use of several spacecraft, further strengthening the overall tugging effect on the asteroid, and distributing the thrust requirement among the spacecraft.