English

Project Lyra: Another Possible Trajectory to 1I/'Oumuamua

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 2022-05-12 v2 Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics

Abstract

The first interstellar object to be discovered, 1I/'Oumuamua, exhibited various unusual properties as it was tracked on its passage through the inner solar system in 2017/2018. In terms of the potential scientific return, a spacecraft mission to intercept and study it in situ would be invaluable. As an extension to previous Project Lyra studies, this paper elaborates an alternative mission to 1I/'Oumuamua, this time also requiring a Jupiter Oberth Manoeuvre (JOM) to accelerate the spacecraft towards its destination. The difference is in the combination of planetary flybys exploited to get to Jupiter, which includes a Mars encounter before proceeding to Jupiter. The trajectory identified is inferior to previous finds in terms of higher ΔV\Delta V requirement (15.6 kms1kms^{-1}), longer flight duration (29 years) and less mission preparation time (launch 2026), however it benefits from a feature absent from previous JOM candidates, in that there is little or no ΔV\Delta V en route to Jupiter (i.e. a free ride) which means the spacecraft need not carry a liquid propellant stage. This is marginally offset by the higher ΔV\Delta V needed at Jupiter, requiring either 2 or 3 staged solid rocket motors. As an example, a Falcon Heavy Expendable with a CASTOR 30B booster followed by a STAR 48B can deliver 102kg to 1I/'Oumuamua by the year 2059. Other scenarios with shorter flight durations and higher payload masses are possible.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2205.04693,
  title  = {Project Lyra: Another Possible Trajectory to 1I/'Oumuamua},
  author = {Adam Hibberd},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2205.04693},
  year   = {2022}
}