[en] Comet Interceptor is an ESA science mission with payload contributions from ESA Member States and with an international participation by JAXA. It is the first mission that is being designed, built, and potentially launched before its target is known. This approach will enable the spacecraft to perform the first mission to a Long Period Comet from the Oort Cloud, as these comets have fleeting visits to the inner Solar System lasting only months to years from first discovery, too short for the usual process of mission development to be followed. In this paper we describe a number of factors that need to be considered in selecting a target for the mission, including scientific, orbital, spacecraft and instrument constraints, and discussion of different prioritisation strategies. We find that, in the case where we have a choice of targets, our decisions will mostly be driven by orbital information, which we will have relatively early on, with information on the activity level of the comet an important but secondary consideration. As cometary activity levels are notoriously hard to predict based on early observations alone, this prioritisation / decision approach based more on orbits gives us confidence that a good comet that is compatible with the spacecraft constraints will be selectable with sufficient warning time to allow the mission to intercept it.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Snodgrass, C.; Royal Observatory Edinburgh
Mazzotta Epifani, E.; Astronomical Observatory of Rome
Tubiana, C.; Institute of Space Astrophysics and Cosmic Physics
Sánchez, J. P.; Ecole Nationale Superieure de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace de Toulouse, France
Biver, N.; LIRA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CY Cergy Paris Université, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92190 Meudon, France
Inno, L.; Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, Centro Direzionale di Napoli, Naples I-80143, Italy
Knight, M. M.; Physics Department, United States Naval Academy, 572C Holloway Rd, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA
Lacerda, P.; University of Coimbra, Portugal
De Keyser, J.; Space Physics Division, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Donaldson, A.; Royal Observatory Edinburgh
Edberg, N. J. T.; Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala
Galand, M.; Imperial College, Department of Physics
Guilbert-Lepoutre, A.; LGL TPE, UMR 5276 CNRS, Université Lyon 1, ENSL, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
Kawakita, H.; Koyama Space Science Institute, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita, Kyoto, Japan
Kokotanekova, R.; Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory
Kueppers, M.; European Space Astronomy Centre, Villanueva de la Canada
Micheli, M.; ESA NEO Coordination Centre, Planetary Defence Office, Largo Galileo Galilei, 1, 00044 Frascati, RM, Italy
Pajusalu, M.; Tartu Observatory
Rubin, M.; Space Research &, Planetary Sciences, Physics Insitute, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Sakatani, N.; JAXA, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Yoshioka, K.; The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5, Kashiwano-ha, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
Della Corte, V.; INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Salita Moiariello, 16, Naples I-80131, Italy
Eriksson, A. I.; Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala
Fulle, M.; Astronomical Observatory of Trieste
Holt, C.; Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope
Lara, L.; Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia
Rotundi, A.; UNESCO Chair "Environment, Resources and Sustainable Development", Department of Science and Technology, Parthenope University of Naples, Italy
Jehin, Emmanuel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Space sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR)
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