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Exploring Asteroid Interiors: The Deep Interior Mission ConceptDeep Interior is a mission to determine the geophysical properties of near-Earth objects, including the first volumetric image of the interior of an asteroid. Radio reflection tomography will image the 3D distribution of complex dielectric properties within the ~1 km rendezvous target and hence map structural, density or compositional variations. Laser altimetry and visible imaging will provide high-resolution surface topography. Smart surface pods culminating in blast experiments, imaged by the high frame rate camera and scanned by lidar, will characterize active mechanical behavior and structure of surface materials, expose unweathered surface for NIR analysis, and may enable some characterization of bulk seismic response. Multiple flybys en route to this target will characterize a diversity of asteroids, probing their interiors with non-tomographic radar reflectance experiments. Deep Interior is a natural follow-up to the NEARShoemaker mission and will provide essential guidance for future in situ asteroid and comet exploration. While our goal is to learn the interior geology of small bodies and how their surfaces behave, the resulting science will enable pragmatic technologies required of hazard mitigation and resource utilization.
Document ID
20030110907
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Asphaug, E.
(California Univ. Santa Cruz, CA, United States)
Belton, M. J. S.
(Belton Space Exploration Initiatives, LLC Tucson, AZ, United States)
Cangahuala, A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Keith, L.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Klaasen, K.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
McFadden, L.
(Maryland Univ. MD, United States)
Neumann, G.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Ostro, S. J.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Reinert, R.
(Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. Boulder, CO, United States)
Safaeinili, A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2003
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIV
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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