Near-Earth objects are important not only in studying the early formation of the Solar System,but also because they pose a serious hazard to humanity when they make close approaches to the Earth.Study of their physica...Near-Earth objects are important not only in studying the early formation of the Solar System,but also because they pose a serious hazard to humanity when they make close approaches to the Earth.Study of their physical properties can provide useful information on their origin,evolution,and hazard to human beings.However,it remains challenging to investigate small,newly discovered,near-Earth objects because of our limited observational window.This investigation seeks to determine the visible colors of near-Earth asteroids(NEAs),perform an initial taxonomic classification based on visible colors and analyze possible correlations between the distribution of taxonomic classification and asteroid size or orbital parameters.Observations were performed in the broadband BVRI Johnson−Cousins photometric system,applied to images from the Yaoan High Precision Telescope and the 1.88 m telescope at the Kottamia Astronomical Observatory.We present new photometric observations of 84 near-Earth asteroids,and classify 80 of them taxonomically,based on their photometric colors.We find that nearly half(46.3%)of the objects in our sample can be classified as S-complex,26.3%as C-complex,6%as D-complex,and 15.0%as X-complex;the remaining belong to the A-or V-types.Additionally,we identify three P-type NEAs in our sample,according to the Tholen scheme.The fractional abundances of the C/X-complex members with absolute magnitude H≥17.0 were more than twice as large as those with H<17.0.However,the fractions of C-and S-complex members with diameters≤1 km and>1 km are nearly equal,while X-complex members tend to have sub-kilometer diameters.In our sample,the C/D-complex objects are predominant among those with a Jovian Tisserand parameter of T_(J)<3.1.These bodies could have a cometary origin.C-and S-complex members account for a considerable proportion of the asteroids that are potentially hazardous.展开更多
Implementing the flyby to Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) with the potential impact risks to the Earth allows for obtaining detailed physical parameters, thereby supporting the high-precision orbit prediction and planetar...Implementing the flyby to Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) with the potential impact risks to the Earth allows for obtaining detailed physical parameters, thereby supporting the high-precision orbit prediction and planetary defense strategy. Different from those conducted asteroid flyby missions, in the 12th China Trajectory Optimization Competition (CTOC-12), a NEAs flyby trajectory design problem using reusable probes that depart from a Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) station in the cislunar space was released. The objective was flyby to as many NEAs as possible using up to 20 probes within a total of 10 years. The ∑ team proposed a solution that can explore 47 NEAs using 11 probes, ranking the first in the competition. In this paper, the methods and results from the winning team are introduced, including mission analysis and preliminary design, and low-energy transfer trajectory optimization. In particular, a round-trip trajectory is divided into three phases: deep space transfer, indirect transfer between the Earth to DRO, and DRO phasing and rendezvous. With the combination of global optimization and local optimization algorithms, the required velocity increments to change the orbital planes are effectively reduced, thus increasing the number of the explored NEAs. The final solution of our team is presented and the results are compared with those of the top three teams. The competition demonstrates that the regularization of flyby missions from the cislunar space to explore NEAs with the potential impact risks to the Earth is the feasible and promising.展开更多
This paper proposed an efficient method of image overlapping relationship analysis based on spatial index of KD tree fast search for disordered and large-scale asteroid images.In this study,the image data from asteroi...This paper proposed an efficient method of image overlapping relationship analysis based on spatial index of KD tree fast search for disordered and large-scale asteroid images.In this study,the image data from asteroid exploration missions such as Bennu,Vesta,and Ryugu were used for experiments,and the proposed image matching pairs determination algorithm was comprehensively compared with the corresponding modules of USGS ISIS in order to evaluate its performance in terms of efficiency and accuracy.The results show that when processing more than a thousand images,the proposed method greatly improves the efficiency of acquiring image matching pairs while ensuring the correctness of image overlapping relationships and accuracy of bundle adjustment.At the same time,according to the obtained image matching pairs,images that meet the requirements of Stereo Photoclinometry can be quickly selected,effectively improving the quality of 3D reconstruction models of asteroid images.展开更多
The surface particle size and distribution characteristics of celestial bodies (e.g.,the Moon,asteroids,etc.) will affect the interpretation of hyperspectral remote sensing data and the implementation of sampling miss...The surface particle size and distribution characteristics of celestial bodies (e.g.,the Moon,asteroids,etc.) will affect the interpretation of hyperspectral remote sensing data and the implementation of sampling missions.Currently,the estimation of the surface particle sizes is mainly focusing on interpreting the thermal inertia with the infrared spectral data from ground-based or space telescopes,but this method show distinct errors compared with the imaging results of the orbiter.By analyzing some thermal infrared spectral data,a relationship between the particle sizes of the main rockforming minerals (e.g.pyroxene,feldspar,olivine) and the slopes of their thermal infrared spectrum was found.Based on this relationship,a preliminary model for estimating the grain sizes (~30–300μm) of lunar or S-type asteroids’surfaces which are silicate minerals dominated was established,and the correlation coefficients (R^(2)) for most of the rock-forming minerals were better than 90%.Six observational datasets of natural lunar and terrestrial samples are used to validate the model,and the results show a systematical overestimation of the ground-truth particle sizes,the potential causes are analyzed and an additional correction is used to eliminate the overestimation of the particle size prediction.These results are expected to provide guidance for interpretation of lunar and S-type asteroid surface sampling and spectral data.展开更多
Flexible lander,composed of multiple nodes connected by flexible material,can reducethe bouncing and overturning during the asteroid landing.To satisfy the complex constraints inthe node cooperation of the flexible la...Flexible lander,composed of multiple nodes connected by flexible material,can reducethe bouncing and overturning during the asteroid landing.To satisfy the complex constraints inthe node cooperation of the flexible landing,an intelligent cooperative guidance method is pro-posed.The method consists of a double-layer cooperative guidance structure,a guidance parameterdetermination approach,and an action priority strategy.The double-layer contains a basic guid-ance used to satisfy the terminal state constraints,and a compensatory guidance used to satisfythe lander's attitude constraint.For the compensatory guidance,the parameters are determinedby multi-agent system,which are trained according to the performance index of flexible landing tra-jectories.The action priority strategy is used to reduce the detrimental effect of parameter inconsis-tency on the node cooperation.The simulation of flexible landing shows that the cooperativeguidance method is effective in improving the landing accuracy while satisfying the constraints.Meanwhile,the method is robust to the disturbance in the navigation and control.展开更多
At the end of the Cretaceous period,66 million years ago,the 7−19 km diameter Chicxulub asteroid hit the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico,triggering global catastrophic environmental changes and mass extinction.The contrib...At the end of the Cretaceous period,66 million years ago,the 7−19 km diameter Chicxulub asteroid hit the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico,triggering global catastrophic environmental changes and mass extinction.The contributions of this event towards changes in plate and plume geodynamics are not fully understood.Here we present a range of geological observations indicating that the impact marked a tectonic turning point in the behavior of mantle plume and plate motion in the Caribbean region and worldwide.At a regional scale,the impact coincides with the termination of seafloor spreading in the Caribbean Ridge.Shortly after the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition,magmatism associated with the Caribbean Large Igneous Province waned,and intensive Paleogene volcanism was initiated.These events happened synchronously with anomalously high mid-ocean ridge magmatism worldwide and an abrupt change in the relative motion of the South American and North American tectonic plates.The evidence for such abrupt changes in plate kinematics and plume behavior raises the possibility that the Chicxulub impact triggered a chain of effects that modified melt reservoirs,subducting plates,mantle flows,and lithospheric deformation.To explain how an asteroid impact could modify tectonic behavior,we discuss two end-member mechanisms:quasi-static and dynamic triggering mechanisms.We designed a numerical model to investigate the strain field and the relative plate motion before and after the impact.The model predicts an enhanced deformation associated with the impact,which surficially tapers off∼500 km from the crater.The impact modifies the subjacent mantle flow field,contributing to long-term mantle-driven dynamic changes.Additionally,deformation associated with seismic effects may have contributed to far-field effects and global changes.We conclude that large asteroid impacts,such as the Chicxulub collision,could trigger cascading effects sufficient to disrupt and significantly modify plate geodynamics.展开更多
Sent out at 1:31am GMT+8 on May 29 by a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province,China,Tianwen-2,the second mission of China’s Planetary Exploration Program,correctly ...Sent out at 1:31am GMT+8 on May 29 by a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province,China,Tianwen-2,the second mission of China’s Planetary Exploration Program,correctly entered the transfer trajectory toward an asteroid named 2016HO3 after flying for 18 minutes.Its solar wings unfolded properly,signaling a successful start,and primed for the next stage of its mission.展开更多
The SiTian project,with its vast field of view,will become an ideal platform for scientific research on asteroids.In this study,we develop a pipeline to analyze the photometry of asteroids and derive their periods fro...The SiTian project,with its vast field of view,will become an ideal platform for scientific research on asteroids.In this study,we develop a pipeline to analyze the photometry of asteroids and derive their periods from the data collected by the SiTian pathfinder project Mini-SiTian(MST).The pipeline is applied to the MST f02 region,an MST test region with a sky area of 2°.29×1°.53.Rotation periods of 22 asteroids are derived by the obtained light curve analysis.Among them,there are eight asteroids available in the Asteroid Lightcurve Photometry Database(ALCDEF),and six of them with more photometric points(>200)that have similar period parameters as the ones in ALCDEF.Additionally,the periods for 14 of these asteroids are newly obtained and are not listed in ALCDEF.This study demonstrates the feasibility of asteroid photometric research by the SiTian project.It shows that future observations from the SiTian project will provide even more photometry of asteroids,significantly increasing the number of available light curves.The potential vast photometric data on asteroids will help us to further understand the physics of asteroids,their material composition,and the formation and evolution of the solar system.展开更多
In the 6th edition of the Chinese Space Trajectory Design Competition held in 2014, a near-Earth asteroid sample-return trajectory design problem was released, in which the motion of the spacecraft is modeled in multi...In the 6th edition of the Chinese Space Trajectory Design Competition held in 2014, a near-Earth asteroid sample-return trajectory design problem was released, in which the motion of the spacecraft is modeled in multi-body dynamics, considering the gravitational forces of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. It is proposed that an electric-propulsion spacecraft initially parking in a circular 200-kin-altitude low Earth orbit is expected to rendezvous with an asteroid and carry as much sample as possible back to the Earth in a 10-year time frame. The team from the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences has reported a solution with an asteroid sample mass of 328 tons, which is ranked first in the competition. In this article, we will present our design and optimization methods, primarily including overall analysis, target selection, escape from and capture by the Earth-Moon system, and optimization of impulsive and low-thrust trajectories that are modeled in multi-body dynamics. The orbital resonance concept and lunar gravity assists are considered key techniques employed for trajectory design. The reported solution, preliminarily revealing the feasibility of returning a hundreds-of-tons asteroid or asteroid sample, envisions future space missions relating to near-Earth asteroid exploration.展开更多
A method for classifying orbits near asteroids under a polyhedral gravitational field is presented, and may serve as a valuable reference for spacecraft orbit design for asteroid exploration. The orbital dynamics near...A method for classifying orbits near asteroids under a polyhedral gravitational field is presented, and may serve as a valuable reference for spacecraft orbit design for asteroid exploration. The orbital dynamics near aster- oids are very complex. According to the variation in orbit characteristics after being affected by gravitational perturbation during the periapsis passage, orbits near an as- teroid can be classified into 9 categories： （1） surrounding- to-surrounding, （2） surrounding-to-surface, （3） surrounding- to-infinity, （4） infinity-to-infinity, （5） infinity-to-surface, （6） infinity-to-surrounding, （7） surface-to-surface, （8） surface- to-surrounding, and （9） surface-to- infinity. Assume that the orbital elements are constant near the periapsis, the gravitation potential is expanded into a harmonic series. Then, the influence of the gravitational perturbation on the orbit is studied analytically. The styles of orbits are dependent on the argument of periapsis, the periapsis radius, and the periapsis velocity. Given the argument of periapsis, the orbital energy before and after perturbation can be derived according to the periapsis radius and the periapsis velocity. Simulations have been performed for orbits in the gravitational field of 216 Kleopatra. The numerical results are well consistent with analytic predictions.展开更多
Grove Mountains (GRV) 99018 is a new eucrite (0.23 g), consisting mainly of pyroxene (50.5 vol%) and plagioclase (37.2 vol%) with minor silica minerals (7.0 Vol%) and opaque minerals (5.2 vol%). It was intensely shock...Grove Mountains (GRV) 99018 is a new eucrite (0.23 g), consisting mainly of pyroxene (50.5 vol%) and plagioclase (37.2 vol%) with minor silica minerals (7.0 Vol%) and opaque minerals (5.2 vol%). It was intensely shocked, leading to partial melting, formation of abundant tiny inclusions in pyroxenes and plagioclase, and heavy brecciation. Exsolution of most pyroxenes (1-3μm in width of the lamellae), recrystallization of the shpck-induced melt pockets and veins (5-20μm in size), and homogeneous compositions of pyroxenes of various occurrences suggest the intense thermal metamorphism of GRV 99018 in the asteroidal body Vesta. This new eucrite will bring additional constraints on the chemical composition and multi-stage thermal and shock history of Vesta.展开更多
The motion of a surface vehicle on/above an irregular object is inv.estigated for a potential interest in the insitu explorations to asteroids of the solar system. A global valid numeric method, including detailed gra...The motion of a surface vehicle on/above an irregular object is inv.estigated for a potential interest in the insitu explorations to asteroids of the solar system. A global valid numeric method, including detailed gravity and geo- morphology, is developed to mimic the behaviors of the test particles governed by the orbital equations and surface cou- pling effects. A general discussion on the surface mechanical environment of a specified asteroid, 1620 Geographos, is presented to make a global evaluation of the surface vehicle＇s working conditions. We show the connections between the natural trajectories near the ground and differential features of the asteroid surface, which describes both the good and bad of typical terrains from the viewpoint of vehicles＇ dynamic performances. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to take a further look at the trajectories of particles initializing near the surface. The simulations reveal consistent conclusions with the analysis, i.e., the open- field flat ground and slightly concave basins/valleys are the best choices for the vehicles＇ dynamical security. The dependence of decending trajectories on the releasing height is studied as an application; the results show that the pole direction （where the centrifugal force is zero） is the most stable direction in which the shift of a natural trajectory will be well limited after landing. We present this work as an example for pre-analysis that provides guidance to engineering design of the exploration site and routing the surface vehicles.展开更多
This paper investigates a simplified model for describing the gravitational fields of non- axisymmetric elongated asteroids. The connection between the simplified model and the target aster-oid is built by considering...This paper investigates a simplified model for describing the gravitational fields of non- axisymmetric elongated asteroids. The connection between the simplified model and the target aster-oid is built by considering the positions of equilibrium points. To improve the performance of po-sition matching for the equilibrium points associated with these non-axisymmetric asteroids, a non-axisymmetric triple-particle-linkage model is proposed based on two existing axisymmetric particle- linkage models. The unknown parameters of the simplified model are determined by minimizing the matching error using the nonlinear optimization method. The proposed simplified model is applied for three realistic elongated asteroids, 243 Ida, 433 Eros and （8567） 1996 HW1. The simulation re-sults verify that the current particle-linkage model has better matching accuracy than the two existing particle-linkage models. The comparison, between the simplified model and the polyhedral model, on the topological cases of the equilibrium points and the distribution of gravitational potential further validate the rationality and accuracy of the simplified model.展开更多
Asteroid exploration is currently one of the most concerned topics among international space agencies. Or- bital dynamics and navigation are obviously crucial for asteroid exploration. This paper aims to give a brief ...Asteroid exploration is currently one of the most concerned topics among international space agencies. Or- bital dynamics and navigation are obviously crucial for asteroid exploration. This paper aims to give a brief review on the dynamics, control and navigation of asteroid reconnaissance orbits, including the heliocentric transfer orbit and near as- teroid orbit. The developments in optimization techniques of the transfer segment are discussed in detail. We surveyed global researches in this field and made comments on several important progresses. The final section proposed a prospec- tive of future studies with emphasis on the key techniques of these issues in the asteroid exploration missions.展开更多
High-area/mass ratio landers driven by Solar Radiation Pressure(SRP)have potential applications for future asteroid landing missions.This paper develops a new convex optimization-based method for planning trajectories...High-area/mass ratio landers driven by Solar Radiation Pressure(SRP)have potential applications for future asteroid landing missions.This paper develops a new convex optimization-based method for planning trajectories driven by SRP.A Minimum Landing Error(MLE)control problem is formulated to enable planning SRP-controlled trajectories with different flight times.It is transformed into Second Order Cone Programming(SOCP)successfully by a series of different convexification technologies.A trust region constraint and a modified MLE objective function are used to guarantee the convergence performance of the optimization algorithm.Thereafter,the SRP-driven trajectory optimal control problem is converted equivalently into a sequence of convex optimal control problems that can be solved effectively.A set of numerical simulation results has verified the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed optimization method.展开更多
基金funded by the China National Space Administration(KJSP2023020105)supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2023YFA1608100)+2 种基金the NSFC(Grant No.62227901)the Minor Planet Foundationsupported by the Egyptian Science,Technology&Innovation Funding Authority(STDF)under Grant No.48102.
文摘Near-Earth objects are important not only in studying the early formation of the Solar System,but also because they pose a serious hazard to humanity when they make close approaches to the Earth.Study of their physical properties can provide useful information on their origin,evolution,and hazard to human beings.However,it remains challenging to investigate small,newly discovered,near-Earth objects because of our limited observational window.This investigation seeks to determine the visible colors of near-Earth asteroids(NEAs),perform an initial taxonomic classification based on visible colors and analyze possible correlations between the distribution of taxonomic classification and asteroid size or orbital parameters.Observations were performed in the broadband BVRI Johnson−Cousins photometric system,applied to images from the Yaoan High Precision Telescope and the 1.88 m telescope at the Kottamia Astronomical Observatory.We present new photometric observations of 84 near-Earth asteroids,and classify 80 of them taxonomically,based on their photometric colors.We find that nearly half(46.3%)of the objects in our sample can be classified as S-complex,26.3%as C-complex,6%as D-complex,and 15.0%as X-complex;the remaining belong to the A-or V-types.Additionally,we identify three P-type NEAs in our sample,according to the Tholen scheme.The fractional abundances of the C/X-complex members with absolute magnitude H≥17.0 were more than twice as large as those with H<17.0.However,the fractions of C-and S-complex members with diameters≤1 km and>1 km are nearly equal,while X-complex members tend to have sub-kilometer diameters.In our sample,the C/D-complex objects are predominant among those with a Jovian Tisserand parameter of T_(J)<3.1.These bodies could have a cometary origin.C-and S-complex members account for a considerable proportion of the asteroids that are potentially hazardous.
基金supported by the Special Funding Project for Space Debris and Near-Earth Asteroids Defense Research, China (No. KJSP2023020303)Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, China (No. Z181100002918004)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. 2022146)
文摘Implementing the flyby to Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) with the potential impact risks to the Earth allows for obtaining detailed physical parameters, thereby supporting the high-precision orbit prediction and planetary defense strategy. Different from those conducted asteroid flyby missions, in the 12th China Trajectory Optimization Competition (CTOC-12), a NEAs flyby trajectory design problem using reusable probes that depart from a Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) station in the cislunar space was released. The objective was flyby to as many NEAs as possible using up to 20 probes within a total of 10 years. The ∑ team proposed a solution that can explore 47 NEAs using 11 probes, ranking the first in the competition. In this paper, the methods and results from the winning team are introduced, including mission analysis and preliminary design, and low-energy transfer trajectory optimization. In particular, a round-trip trajectory is divided into three phases: deep space transfer, indirect transfer between the Earth to DRO, and DRO phasing and rendezvous. With the combination of global optimization and local optimization algorithms, the required velocity increments to change the orbital planes are effectively reduced, thus increasing the number of the explored NEAs. The final solution of our team is presented and the results are compared with those of the top three teams. The competition demonstrates that the regularization of flyby missions from the cislunar space to explore NEAs with the potential impact risks to the Earth is the feasible and promising.
基金Space Optoelectronic Measurement and Perception Lab(LabSOMP-2023-07)the National Natural Science Foundation ofChina(42241147)+1 种基金the State Key Laboratory of Geo-Information Engineering(SKLGIE2021-Z-3-1)and the Open Program of Collaborativeinnovation Center of Geo-information(2023C002)。
文摘This paper proposed an efficient method of image overlapping relationship analysis based on spatial index of KD tree fast search for disordered and large-scale asteroid images.In this study,the image data from asteroid exploration missions such as Bennu,Vesta,and Ryugu were used for experiments,and the proposed image matching pairs determination algorithm was comprehensively compared with the corresponding modules of USGS ISIS in order to evaluate its performance in terms of efficiency and accuracy.The results show that when processing more than a thousand images,the proposed method greatly improves the efficiency of acquiring image matching pairs while ensuring the correctness of image overlapping relationships and accuracy of bundle adjustment.At the same time,according to the obtained image matching pairs,images that meet the requirements of Stereo Photoclinometry can be quickly selected,effectively improving the quality of 3D reconstruction models of asteroid images.
基金supported by China’s first Asteroid exploration program and China National Space Administration(CNSA)was also funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC,Grant No.12373068)。
文摘The surface particle size and distribution characteristics of celestial bodies (e.g.,the Moon,asteroids,etc.) will affect the interpretation of hyperspectral remote sensing data and the implementation of sampling missions.Currently,the estimation of the surface particle sizes is mainly focusing on interpreting the thermal inertia with the infrared spectral data from ground-based or space telescopes,but this method show distinct errors compared with the imaging results of the orbiter.By analyzing some thermal infrared spectral data,a relationship between the particle sizes of the main rockforming minerals (e.g.pyroxene,feldspar,olivine) and the slopes of their thermal infrared spectrum was found.Based on this relationship,a preliminary model for estimating the grain sizes (~30–300μm) of lunar or S-type asteroids’surfaces which are silicate minerals dominated was established,and the correlation coefficients (R^(2)) for most of the rock-forming minerals were better than 90%.Six observational datasets of natural lunar and terrestrial samples are used to validate the model,and the results show a systematical overestimation of the ground-truth particle sizes,the potential causes are analyzed and an additional correction is used to eliminate the overestimation of the particle size prediction.These results are expected to provide guidance for interpretation of lunar and S-type asteroid surface sampling and spectral data.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2019YFA0706500)。
文摘Flexible lander,composed of multiple nodes connected by flexible material,can reducethe bouncing and overturning during the asteroid landing.To satisfy the complex constraints inthe node cooperation of the flexible landing,an intelligent cooperative guidance method is pro-posed.The method consists of a double-layer cooperative guidance structure,a guidance parameterdetermination approach,and an action priority strategy.The double-layer contains a basic guid-ance used to satisfy the terminal state constraints,and a compensatory guidance used to satisfythe lander's attitude constraint.For the compensatory guidance,the parameters are determinedby multi-agent system,which are trained according to the performance index of flexible landing tra-jectories.The action priority strategy is used to reduce the detrimental effect of parameter inconsis-tency on the node cooperation.The simulation of flexible landing shows that the cooperativeguidance method is effective in improving the landing accuracy while satisfying the constraints.Meanwhile,the method is robust to the disturbance in the navigation and control.
文摘At the end of the Cretaceous period,66 million years ago,the 7−19 km diameter Chicxulub asteroid hit the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico,triggering global catastrophic environmental changes and mass extinction.The contributions of this event towards changes in plate and plume geodynamics are not fully understood.Here we present a range of geological observations indicating that the impact marked a tectonic turning point in the behavior of mantle plume and plate motion in the Caribbean region and worldwide.At a regional scale,the impact coincides with the termination of seafloor spreading in the Caribbean Ridge.Shortly after the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition,magmatism associated with the Caribbean Large Igneous Province waned,and intensive Paleogene volcanism was initiated.These events happened synchronously with anomalously high mid-ocean ridge magmatism worldwide and an abrupt change in the relative motion of the South American and North American tectonic plates.The evidence for such abrupt changes in plate kinematics and plume behavior raises the possibility that the Chicxulub impact triggered a chain of effects that modified melt reservoirs,subducting plates,mantle flows,and lithospheric deformation.To explain how an asteroid impact could modify tectonic behavior,we discuss two end-member mechanisms:quasi-static and dynamic triggering mechanisms.We designed a numerical model to investigate the strain field and the relative plate motion before and after the impact.The model predicts an enhanced deformation associated with the impact,which surficially tapers off∼500 km from the crater.The impact modifies the subjacent mantle flow field,contributing to long-term mantle-driven dynamic changes.Additionally,deformation associated with seismic effects may have contributed to far-field effects and global changes.We conclude that large asteroid impacts,such as the Chicxulub collision,could trigger cascading effects sufficient to disrupt and significantly modify plate geodynamics.
文摘Sent out at 1:31am GMT+8 on May 29 by a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province,China,Tianwen-2,the second mission of China’s Planetary Exploration Program,correctly entered the transfer trajectory toward an asteroid named 2016HO3 after flying for 18 minutes.Its solar wings unfolded properly,signaling a successful start,and primed for the next stage of its mission.
基金supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,grant Nos.12203002 and 11973015)supports from the National Key Basic R&D Program of China via 2023YFA1608303 and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB0550103)+6 种基金supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFCgrant No.12373015)supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFCgrant Nos.12120101003 and 12373010)National Key R&D Program of China(grant Nos.2023YFA1607800,2023YFA1607804,2022YFA1602902)Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation(grant No.1222028)Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Science(grant Nos.XDB0550100 and XDB0550000).
文摘The SiTian project,with its vast field of view,will become an ideal platform for scientific research on asteroids.In this study,we develop a pipeline to analyze the photometry of asteroids and derive their periods from the data collected by the SiTian pathfinder project Mini-SiTian(MST).The pipeline is applied to the MST f02 region,an MST test region with a sky area of 2°.29×1°.53.Rotation periods of 22 asteroids are derived by the obtained light curve analysis.Among them,there are eight asteroids available in the Asteroid Lightcurve Photometry Database(ALCDEF),and six of them with more photometric points(>200)that have similar period parameters as the ones in ALCDEF.Additionally,the periods for 14 of these asteroids are newly obtained and are not listed in ALCDEF.This study demonstrates the feasibility of asteroid photometric research by the SiTian project.It shows that future observations from the SiTian project will provide even more photometry of asteroids,significantly increasing the number of available light curves.The potential vast photometric data on asteroids will help us to further understand the physics of asteroids,their material composition,and the formation and evolution of the solar system.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant11372311)the grant from the State key Laboratory of Astronautic Dynamics(2014-ADL-DW0201)
文摘In the 6th edition of the Chinese Space Trajectory Design Competition held in 2014, a near-Earth asteroid sample-return trajectory design problem was released, in which the motion of the spacecraft is modeled in multi-body dynamics, considering the gravitational forces of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. It is proposed that an electric-propulsion spacecraft initially parking in a circular 200-kin-altitude low Earth orbit is expected to rendezvous with an asteroid and carry as much sample as possible back to the Earth in a 10-year time frame. The team from the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences has reported a solution with an asteroid sample mass of 328 tons, which is ranked first in the competition. In this article, we will present our design and optimization methods, primarily including overall analysis, target selection, escape from and capture by the Earth-Moon system, and optimization of impulsive and low-thrust trajectories that are modeled in multi-body dynamics. The orbital resonance concept and lunar gravity assists are considered key techniques employed for trajectory design. The reported solution, preliminarily revealing the feasibility of returning a hundreds-of-tons asteroid or asteroid sample, envisions future space missions relating to near-Earth asteroid exploration.
文摘A method for classifying orbits near asteroids under a polyhedral gravitational field is presented, and may serve as a valuable reference for spacecraft orbit design for asteroid exploration. The orbital dynamics near aster- oids are very complex. According to the variation in orbit characteristics after being affected by gravitational perturbation during the periapsis passage, orbits near an as- teroid can be classified into 9 categories： （1） surrounding- to-surrounding, （2） surrounding-to-surface, （3） surrounding- to-infinity, （4） infinity-to-infinity, （5） infinity-to-surface, （6） infinity-to-surrounding, （7） surface-to-surface, （8） surface- to-surrounding, and （9） surface-to- infinity. Assume that the orbital elements are constant near the periapsis, the gravitation potential is expanded into a harmonic series. Then, the influence of the gravitational perturbation on the orbit is studied analytically. The styles of orbits are dependent on the argument of periapsis, the periapsis radius, and the periapsis velocity. Given the argument of periapsis, the orbital energy before and after perturbation can be derived according to the periapsis radius and the periapsis velocity. Simulations have been performed for orbits in the gravitational field of 216 Kleopatra. The numerical results are well consistent with analytic predictions.
基金We are grateful to Drs Guan Yunbin and Xu Ping for their assistance in laboratories This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40232026)the pilot project of knowledge-innovation program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.KZCX3-SW-l23).
文摘Grove Mountains (GRV) 99018 is a new eucrite (0.23 g), consisting mainly of pyroxene (50.5 vol%) and plagioclase (37.2 vol%) with minor silica minerals (7.0 Vol%) and opaque minerals (5.2 vol%). It was intensely shocked, leading to partial melting, formation of abundant tiny inclusions in pyroxenes and plagioclase, and heavy brecciation. Exsolution of most pyroxenes (1-3μm in width of the lamellae), recrystallization of the shpck-induced melt pockets and veins (5-20μm in size), and homogeneous compositions of pyroxenes of various occurrences suggest the intense thermal metamorphism of GRV 99018 in the asteroidal body Vesta. This new eucrite will bring additional constraints on the chemical composition and multi-stage thermal and shock history of Vesta.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)(2012CB720000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11372150)
文摘The motion of a surface vehicle on/above an irregular object is inv.estigated for a potential interest in the insitu explorations to asteroids of the solar system. A global valid numeric method, including detailed gravity and geo- morphology, is developed to mimic the behaviors of the test particles governed by the orbital equations and surface cou- pling effects. A general discussion on the surface mechanical environment of a specified asteroid, 1620 Geographos, is presented to make a global evaluation of the surface vehicle＇s working conditions. We show the connections between the natural trajectories near the ground and differential features of the asteroid surface, which describes both the good and bad of typical terrains from the viewpoint of vehicles＇ dynamic performances. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to take a further look at the trajectories of particles initializing near the surface. The simulations reveal consistent conclusions with the analysis, i.e., the open- field flat ground and slightly concave basins/valleys are the best choices for the vehicles＇ dynamical security. The dependence of decending trajectories on the releasing height is studied as an application; the results show that the pole direction （where the centrifugal force is zero） is the most stable direction in which the shift of a natural trajectory will be well limited after landing. We present this work as an example for pre-analysis that provides guidance to engineering design of the exploration site and routing the surface vehicles.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.11672126)the Innovation Funded Project of Shanghai Aerospace Science and Technology (Grant Nos.SAST2017032 and SAST2015036)the Scientific Research Foundation for New Staffs of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Grant No.1011-YAH17071)
文摘This paper investigates a simplified model for describing the gravitational fields of non- axisymmetric elongated asteroids. The connection between the simplified model and the target aster-oid is built by considering the positions of equilibrium points. To improve the performance of po-sition matching for the equilibrium points associated with these non-axisymmetric asteroids, a non-axisymmetric triple-particle-linkage model is proposed based on two existing axisymmetric particle- linkage models. The unknown parameters of the simplified model are determined by minimizing the matching error using the nonlinear optimization method. The proposed simplified model is applied for three realistic elongated asteroids, 243 Ida, 433 Eros and （8567） 1996 HW1. The simulation re-sults verify that the current particle-linkage model has better matching accuracy than the two existing particle-linkage models. The comparison, between the simplified model and the polyhedral model, on the topological cases of the equilibrium points and the distribution of gravitational potential further validate the rationality and accuracy of the simplified model.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)(2012CB720000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11372150)
文摘Asteroid exploration is currently one of the most concerned topics among international space agencies. Or- bital dynamics and navigation are obviously crucial for asteroid exploration. This paper aims to give a brief review on the dynamics, control and navigation of asteroid reconnaissance orbits, including the heliocentric transfer orbit and near as- teroid orbit. The developments in optimization techniques of the transfer segment are discussed in detail. We surveyed global researches in this field and made comments on several important progresses. The final section proposed a prospec- tive of future studies with emphasis on the key techniques of these issues in the asteroid exploration missions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.12102177)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province,China(No.BK20180410)+2 种基金the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST,China(No.2018QNRC001)the Open Project Program of Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microgravity and Hypogravity Environment Simulation Technology,China(No.WDZL2020-07)the Foundation of Graduate Innovation Center at NUAA,China(No.kfjj20201503).
文摘High-area/mass ratio landers driven by Solar Radiation Pressure(SRP)have potential applications for future asteroid landing missions.This paper develops a new convex optimization-based method for planning trajectories driven by SRP.A Minimum Landing Error(MLE)control problem is formulated to enable planning SRP-controlled trajectories with different flight times.It is transformed into Second Order Cone Programming(SOCP)successfully by a series of different convexification technologies.A trust region constraint and a modified MLE objective function are used to guarantee the convergence performance of the optimization algorithm.Thereafter,the SRP-driven trajectory optimal control problem is converted equivalently into a sequence of convex optimal control problems that can be solved effectively.A set of numerical simulation results has verified the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed optimization method.
