Physical Considerations for an Intercept Mission to a 1I/'Oumuamua-like Interstellar Object

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the feasibility of interstellar object rendezvous missions, focusing on imaging requirements, detection rates, and optimal target sizes, in light of upcoming surveys like LSST.

Contribution

It extends population models to include size-dependent detection rates and evaluates mission parameters for imaging interstellar objects.

Findings

Objects between a third and full size of 'Oumuamua are optimal targets.

Detection rates of interstellar objects are expected to be between 0.38 and 84 in 10 years.

Rendezvous distances depend on desired image resolution and object size.

Abstract

In this paper, we review some of the extant literature on the study of interstellar objects (ISOs). With the forthcoming Vera C. Rubin Telescope and Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), we find that $0.38 - 84$ `Oumuamua-like interstellar objects are expected to be detected in the next 10 years, with 95\% confidence. The feasibility of a rendezvous trajectory has been demonstrated in previous work. In this paper, we investigate the requirements for a rendezvous mission with the primary objective of producing a resolved image of an interstellar object. We outline the rendezvous distances necessary as a function of resolution elements and object size. We expand upon current population synthesis models to account for the size dependency on the detection rates for reachable interstellar objects. We assess the trade-off between object diameter and occurrence rate, and conclude that objects with the size range between a third of the size and the size of `Oumuamua will be optimal targets for an imaging rendezvous. We also discuss expectations for surface properties and spectral features of interstellar objects, as well as the benefits of various spacecraft storage locations.