Abstract
Asteroid 469219 Kamo’oalewa, also named 2016 HO3, is a small-size fast-rotating near-Earth asteroid, which is a potential target for future explorations. Owing to its weak gravity and fast spin rate, the dynamics on the surface or in the vicinity of 2016 HO3 are significantly different from those of planets or other small bodies explored in previous missions. In this study, the geophysical and orbital environments of 2016 HO3 were investigated to facilitate a potential mission design. First, the geometric and geopotential topographies of 2016 HO3 were examined using different shape models. The lift-off and escape conditions on its fast-rotating surface were investigated. Then, the periodic orbits around 2016 HO3 were studied in the asteroid-fixed frame and the Sun—asteroid frame considering the solar radiation pressure. The stable regions of the terminator orbits were discussed using different parameters. Finally, the influence of the nonspherical shape on the terminator orbits was examined. The precise terminator orbits around a real shape model of 2016 HO3 were obtained and verified in the high-fidelity model. This study shows that the polar region of 2016 HO3 is the primary region for landing or sampling, and the terminator orbits are well suited for global mapping and measurements of 2016 HO3. The analysis and methods can also serve as references for the exploration of other small fast-rotating bodies.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 12002028 and 51827806), Beijing Institute of Technology Research Fund Program for Young Scholars, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (Grant No. 2019QT0038), and Ann and H. J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Science Department, University of Colorado Boulder.
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Xiangyu Li is an associate professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology, China. He was a visiting scholar of University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, in 2019 and 2020. He mainly engages in the research of orbit dynamics in the vicinity of small bodies. E-mail: lixiangy@bit.edu.cn.
Daniel J. Scheeres is a Distinguished Professor in Ann and H. J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Department, University of Colorado Boulder, USA. He mainly engages in the research of celestial mechanics, astrophysics, and space science. E-mail: scheeres@colorado.edu.
Dong Qiao is a professor of aerospace engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology, China. He was selected into the Chang Jiang Scholars Program in 2016 and was a senior visiting scholar in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde, UK, in 2013 and 2014. His current research interests include spacecraft dynamics, autonomous control and state estimation, and astrodynamics. E-mail: qiaodong@bit.edu.cn.
Zixuan Liu is a graduate student in Beijing Institute of Technology, China. Her major is the orbital dynamics and state estimation in asteroid exploration.
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Li, X., Scheeres, D.J., Qiao, D. et al. Geophysical and orbital environments of asteroid 469219 2016 HO3. Astrodyn 7, 31–50 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-022-0131-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-022-0131-7