The Near-Earth Space Surveillance (NESS) Mission: Discovering Near-Earth Objects with a Microsatellite Seminar Presented at the Seminar Presented at the University of Rochester on University of Rochester on 24 Nov 2008 24 Nov 2008 by Ed Tedesco by Ed Tedesco 1
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The Near-Earth Space Surveillance (NESS) Mission: Discovering Near-Earth Objects with a Microsatellite Seminar Presented at the University of Rochester.
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The Near-Earth Space Surveillance (NESS) Mission:
Discovering Near-Earth Objects with a Microsatellite
The Near-Earth Space Surveillance (NESS) Mission:
Discovering Near-Earth Objects with a Microsatellite
Seminar Presented at theSeminar Presented at theUniversity of Rochester onUniversity of Rochester on
24 Nov 200824 Nov 2008by Ed Tedescoby Ed Tedesco
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Spacecraft is named Spacecraft is named “NEOSSat”“NEOSSat”
0.007 degree attitude control0.007 degree attitude control
Partner Universities:Partner Universities:
Univ. TorontoUniv. Toronto
Univ. British ColumbiaUniv. British Columbia
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NEOSSatNEOSSatNEOSSatNEOSSat
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Constraining the Atira (a.k.a. IEO) Constraining the Atira (a.k.a. IEO) Orbital Class Asteroid PopulationOrbital Class Asteroid Population
Constraining the Atira (a.k.a. IEO) Constraining the Atira (a.k.a. IEO) Orbital Class Asteroid PopulationOrbital Class Asteroid Population
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The Inner Solar SystemThe Inner Solar SystemThe Inner Solar SystemThe Inner Solar System
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The Inner most Solar SystemThe Inner most Solar SystemThe Inner most Solar SystemThe Inner most Solar System
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NEO Orbital ClassesNEO Orbital ClassesNEO Orbital ClassesNEO Orbital Classes
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We live in a historic timeWe live in a historic timeWe live in a historic timeWe live in a historic time
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The U.S. Congress’ GoalThe U.S. Congress’ GoalThe U.S. Congress’ GoalThe U.S. Congress’ Goal
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Rationale for U.S. Congressional Rationale for U.S. Congressional GoalGoal
Rationale for U.S. Congressional Rationale for U.S. Congressional GoalGoal
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NESS ObjectivesNESS Objectives
- Search for new Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs), focusing on Atens and Atiras
- Do follow-up tracking of NEA’s
- Assess potentially hazardous asteroids (PHA’s)
- Monitor cometary behaviour
- Enable radar imaging
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NEOSSat Advantages for NEA Searching
NEOSSat Advantages for NEA Searching
Can look close to the Sun:Can look close to the Sun:- Can discover IEOs, constrain population characteristics- Can discover IEOs, constrain population characteristics- Accelerate discovery rate for Atens, Apollos- Accelerate discovery rate for Atens, Apollos- Create opportunities for future NEA exploration missions- Create opportunities for future NEA exploration missions- Create radar-imaging opportunities in daylight sky- Create radar-imaging opportunities in daylight sky- Interrogate “impact keyholes” in daylight sky- Interrogate “impact keyholes” in daylight sky- Observe cometary behaviour close to the Sun- Observe cometary behaviour close to the Sun
Parallax: - Baseline of orbit diameter- Allows immediate distinction of NEAs from main-belt objects
- 0.5 LEO telescope out performs 4.0 m ground-- 0.5 LEO telescope out performs 4.0 m ground-based telescope in both cataloguing and warningbased telescope in both cataloguing and warning
- LEO deployment is superior to other space-based sittings for warning capability
2020
The First WarningThe First Warning The First WarningThe First WarningAsteroid 2008 TC3 was discovered on 06 October 2008 as part of the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey for Near-Earth Objects and impacted the Earth on 07 October 2008. An asteroid the size of 2008 TC3 (~3 m in diameter) impacts the Earth every few months, but this is the first time one has been discovered before impact.
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The First WarningThe First Warning The First WarningThe First WarningThe brief flash created when 2008 TC3 entered the atmosphere was captured by Meteosat-8 in Rapid Scan Service, as shown in the image below. (IR3.9 channel, 07 October 2008 at 02:45:47 UTC).
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The First WarningThe First Warning The First WarningThe First WarningThe aftermath of the entry of 2008 TC3 into the atmosphere over northern Sudan was also captured in a video frame (below), showing the remnants of the long-lasting persistent, twisted, high altitude trail.
Credit:
Mohamed E. A. Mahir (Noub NGO), Dr. Muawia H. Shaddad (Univ. Khartoum), Dr. Peter Jenniskens (SETI Institute/NASA Ames).
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NESS NEO Search RegionsNESS NEO Search Regions
+/-45 deg
+/-55 deg
+/-40 deg
“Ecliptic East” Region“Ecliptic West” Region
Search each patch 4 times each, once per month
Search patches each 0.86x 0.86 deg
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Richness of NEO Fields near the Sun optimizes search performance
(Boattini and Carusi, 1998)
Richness of NEO Fields near the Sun optimizes search performance
(Boattini and Carusi, 1998)
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Asteroid sky distribution to 300 m
(Harris et al., 2006)
Asteroid sky distribution to 300 m
(Harris et al., 2006)
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Simulated Atira Sky Densities (Masi, 2003)
Simulated Atira Sky Densities (Masi, 2003)
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Search Parameters can be Optimized for NEO Orbital Class
Search Parameters can be Optimized for NEO Orbital Class
40 50 60 700.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
Solar Elongation (deg)
IEOAtenECAMBA
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Simulated Search Performance: Atens and Atiras D > 500 m
Simulated Search Performance: Atens and Atiras D > 500 m
0 1 2 3
0
20
40
60
80
IEO 19
Aten 20
D > 500m 45° to 70° solar elongation; ±20° ecliptic latitude scanned monthly
IEO 20
Aten 19
Time (Years)
Co
mp
lete
nes
s (%
)
Aten 21
IEO 21
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Discovery Sensitivity to Asteroid Limiting Magnitude
Discovery Sensitivity to Asteroid Limiting Magnitude
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
0
10
20
30
40
V mag at Discovery
AtensIEOs
% p
er
0.5
mag
bin
D > 500 m
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Discovery Magnitude Distribution for Survey to V = 21
(56% of discoveries have V between 20 and 21.)
Discovery Magnitude Distribution for Survey to V = 21
(56% of discoveries have V between 20 and 21.)
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Phase Effects vs. Distance at Low Solar Elongations
Phase Effects vs. Distance at Low Solar Elongations
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Discriminating NEA asteroids of interest: Proper motions at discovery?
Discriminating NEA asteroids of interest: Proper motions at discovery?
-100 0 100 200 300
Ecliptic Longitude Rate (arcsec/hr)
0
20
40
60
80IEOAtenECA
N
3333
Proper Motions of Main Belt Asteroids at Discovery
Proper Motions of Main Belt Asteroids at Discovery
-100 0 100 200 300
Ecliptic Longitude Rate (arcsec/hr)
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Saved by Parallax – A Consequence of Orbiting Sensor
Saved by Parallax – A Consequence of Orbiting Sensor
- Will constrain Atira (IEO) population- Will constrain Atira (IEO) population
- Will explore the synergies between ground-based & space-based sensors- Will develop asteroid search software for a “parallatic” space-based sensor- NEOSSat will put Canada at No. 2 in the world at contributing to reduction of the NEO impact hazard in dollars invested