Asteroid/comet encounter opportunities for the Galileo VEEGA missionThe opportunity for the Galileo spacecraft to perform a close flyby of an asteroid or distant observation of a comet while on the Venus-Earth-Earth-Gravity-Assist (VEEGA) mission to Jupiter is discussed. More than 120 nominal trajectories were used in a scan program to identify asteroids passing within 30 million km of the spacecraft. A total of 47 asteroids were examined to determine the propellant cost of a close flyby. The possible flybys include a double asteroid flyby with No. 951 in October, 1991, with a flyby of No. 243 in August 1993. The factors considered in the selection of an asteroid include the propellant margin cost of modifying a nominal trajectory to include a close flyby, the size and type of asteroid, and the Jupiter arrival date.
Document ID
19890025268
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Johannesen, Jennie R. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Nolan, Brian G. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Byrnes, Dennis V. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
D'Amario, Louis A. (California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, United States)