Mission analysis of space-based telescopes to detect impacting near-Earth objects

Mission analysis of space-based telescopes to detect impacting near-Earth objects

Ramirez Torralba, Olga (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering)

Heiligers, Jeannette (mentor)
Jehn, Rüdiger (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Aerospace Engineering

2020-03-05

Recognising the threat of near-Earth objects (NEOs), many ground-based surveys have been deployed worldwide. However, ~20% of these potential impactors are estimated to be approaching us from the day-side, and are thus very difficult to detect using ground surveys. Over the last decade, several space-based capabilities have emerged in an effort to discover and catalogue NEOs, yet little research has gone into dealing with imminent-impacting NEOs. The aim of this thesis is to perform a mission analysis of a space-based telescope that provides warning for Earth-impacting NEOs down to 20 m in size, by determining the performance of both a visible and an infrared (IR) space-based telescope used in two different mission candidates. The best space-based NEO survey system is concluded to be an IR telescope placed at the Sun-Earth solar-sail displaced L1 point due to the long warning times obtained and the beneficial contribution to existing ground-based surveys.

Near-Earth Objects
Space-based Telescopes
Infrared
Visible
Astrodynamics
Mission Analysis
Orbit Design
Transfer Design

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:5fb6533b-3fdd-42a7-8177-745d087145d8

Student theses

master thesis

© 2020 Olga Ramirez Torralba