Mapping stable direct and retrograde orbits around the triple system of asteroids (45) Eugenia

TL;DR

This study maps stable and unstable orbital regions around the triple asteroid system (45) Eugenia, providing insights for future space missions and comparing it with another system, 2001 SN263.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of orbital stability around (45) Eugenia, including the effects of perturbations and a comparison with another triple asteroid system.

Findings

(45) Eugenia has larger stable regions for particles in both prograde and retrograde orbits.

Stable regions are influenced by the relative size and distance of satellites.

Results can inform mission planning around triple asteroid systems.

Abstract

It is well accepted that knowing the composition and the orbital evolution of asteroids may help us to understand the process of formation of the Solar System. It is also known that asteroids can represent a threat to our planet. Such important role made space missions to asteroids a very popular topic in the current astrodynamics and astronomy studies. By taking into account the increasingly interest in space missions to asteroids, especially to multiple systems, we present a study aimed to characterize the stable and unstable regions around the triple system of asteroids (45) Eugenia. The goal is to characterize unstable and stable regions of this system and compare with the system 2001 SN263 - the target of the ASTER mission. Besides, Prado (2014) used a new concept for mapping orbits considering the disturbance received by the spacecraft from all the perturbing forces individually. This method was also applied to (45) Eugenia. We present the stable and unstable regions for particles with relative inclination between 0 and 180 degrees. We found that (45) Eugenia presents larger stable regions for both, prograde and retrograde cases. This is mainly because the satellites of this system are small when compared to the primary body, and because they are not so close to each other. We also present a comparison between those two triple systems, and a discussion on how these results may guide us in the planning of future missions.