Finding KBO Flyby Targets for New Horizons

Spencer, J. R.; Young, L. A.; Stern, Alan; Guo, Yanping

doi:10.1007/978-94-017-3321-2_43

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In 2011, when ground-based searching conditions became optimized -the search area was small enough to justify the use of significant amounts of observing time on large telescopes -a deep search campaign (ideally to m R ~ 26.5, but more realistically to m R ~26.0,) was begun in earnest. As of January 2014, we have utilized over 520 hours (~52 nights) of telescope time on large aperture facilities (the 8.4-m Subaru telescope with SuprimeCam and the 6.5-m Magellan telescopes with the MegaCam and IMACS cameras; Buie et al 2012;Spencer et al 2013). No KBO has been found yet that is within the Δv fly-by capabilities of New Horizons.…”

Section: Identifying Potentially Encounterable Kbosmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Horizons: Long-range Kuiper Belt targets observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

Benecchi

Noll

Weaver

et al. 2015

Icarus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We report on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of three Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), discovered in our dedicated ground-based search campaign, that are candidates for long-range observations from the New Horizons spacecraft: 2011 JY 31 , 2011 HZ 102 , and 2013 LU 35 . Astrometry with HST enables both current and future critical accuracy improvements for orbit precision, required for possible New Horizons observations, beyond what can be obtained from the ground. Photometric colors of all three objects are red, typical of the Cold Classical dynamical population within which they reside; they are also the faintest KBOs to have had their colors measured. None are observed to be binary with HST above separations of ~0.02 arcsec (~700 km at 44 AU) and Δm ≤ 0.5. 10 -170 km), is one of the largest and most complex members of the Kuiper Belt (Jewitt & Luu, 1993). This region has more than 1700 objects that have been discovered and cataloged, and is estimated to contain ~10 5 objects having diameters larger than d~100 km (Petit et al. 2011). The physical properties of smaller (d~30-300 km), less atypical Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) provide important points of comparison and context for understanding the Pluto system and its relationship to the larger Kuiper Belt. A flyby of a KBO and studies of other encounterable objects have always been key goals for the New Horizons mission beyond the Pluto encounter as identified for the NASA KBO/Pluto mission (which became New Horizons) in the 2002 Planetary Decadal Survey (Belton et al. 2002). The New Horizons spacecraft and mission was designed, therefore, to allow redirection to one or more KBOs between 2017 and 2021(Stern 2008Spencer et al. 2003) provided that a suitable candidate can be identified. This is likely to be the only opportunity in our lifetimes to encounter a KBO other than Pluto.Because precise orbits for flyby and long-range candidates are critical to the success of the New Horizons extended mission, we present in this paper Hubble Space Telescope (HST) follow-up observations of candidate targets exploiting HST's sensitivity, resolution, and PSF stability. These HST observations also allow us to make basic color measurements and to search for binary companions down to ~0.02 arcseconds in angular separation at the time of the observations. Identifying Potentially Encounterable KBOsThe KBOs that are potentially encounterable by New Horizons are limited to those with orbits that place them within reach of the remaining Δv capability of the spacecraft, currently estimated to be Δv≈ 130 m s -1 . This restriction means that by far the most likely candidate target(s) will be a member of the low-eccentricity, low-inclination Cold Classical subpopulation. In 2004 a ground-based search for bright objects (m R ≥ 24.0) was conducted over a wide area of sky (a few degrees) through which objects that will be in the New Horizons spacecraft trajectory during the optimal KBO encounter dates were located. This is defined by projecting the nominal trajectory of New ...

show abstract

Section: Identifying Potentially Encounterable Kbosmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Horizons: Long-range Kuiper Belt targets observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

Benecchi

Noll

Weaver

et al. 2015

Icarus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Based on the statistics drawn from the data of discovered KBOs and the predicted KBO density, the probability of KBO encounter can then be estimated. Based on the Monte Carlo analysis performed by the science team [8] to find out the appropriate V allocation for targeting the KBOs, the onboard V allocation is believed to be capable of reaching 1-2 KBOs with diameters of 50 km.…”

Section: Extended Mission To Kbomentioning

confidence: 99%

Baseline design of new horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper belt

Guo

Farquhar

2006

Acta Astronautica

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Analysis early in the concept study phase determined that probability was high that two KBOs with diameters greater than 50 km could be encountered within 50 AU. 2 As a result, the MGA is being sized to provide emergency commanding out to 50 AU. Primary mission objectives would occur at approximately 32 AU, with the extended mission objectives (first KBO encounter) predicted at 40 AU.…”

Section: Long Light-time Delaymentioning

confidence: 99%

New Horizons Mission to Pluto/Charon: Reducing Costs of a Long Duration Mission

2004

55th International Astronautical Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, the International Academy of Astronaut

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The long-duration and long light-time delay of NASA's planned New Horizons mission to Pluto, its moon Charon, and the extended mission to one or more Kuiper Belt Objects poses unique challenges to mission operations, especially in this time of limited space exploration budgets. A number of courses of action can be followed to reduce wear on Observatory hardware, reduce operations staffing costs, and reduce Deep Space Network usage and costs without sacrificing the health and safety of the Observatory or risking the successful completion of the primary mission. Major components in this system are an autonomy subsystem that can react quickly enough to safe the Observatory when it is out of contact with the ground station; the use of a beacon to indicate the health of the Observatory during the dormant phases of the mission; command loading and verification strategies to accommodate the long light-time delays; and the combining of operations personnel to take advantage of similarities of Observatories, supporting ground station setup, and procedures. When planned early in the mission development phase, these components are easily integrated into the operations concept and Observatory hardware to form a cohesive plan to mitigate cost and risk. Cost reduction measures for long-duration missions, such as those planned for New Horizons, enable funding for a greater number of equally important space exploration missions from a limited space exploration budget.

show abstract

Finding KBO Flyby Targets for New Horizons

Cited by 5 publications

References 4 publications

New Horizons: Long-range Kuiper Belt targets observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

New Horizons: Long-range Kuiper Belt targets observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

Baseline design of new horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper belt

New Horizons Mission to Pluto/Charon: Reducing Costs of a Long Duration Mission

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About