2023/09/01 by Andrea C. Morelli, Morelli, Andrea C., Alessandra Mannocchi +7 · 1 voice
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Mathematics #FOS: Physical sciences #Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) #Optimization and Control (math.OC) #Planetary Science and Exploration #Space Physics (physics.space-ph) #Space Satellite Systems and Control #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.IM #math.OC #physics.space-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2309.00435
openalex publication_date 2023/09/01 · arxiv published 2023/09/01 · arxiv updated 2023/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
(99942) Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid that will closely approach the Earth on April 13, 2029. Although the likelihood of an impact has been ruled out, this close encounter represents a unique opportunity for planetary science and defense. By investigating the physical and dynamical changes induced by this interaction, valuable insights into asteroid cohesion, strength, and internal structure can be obtained. In light of these circumstances, a fast mission to Apophis holds great scientific importance and potential for understanding potentially hazardous asteroids. To this aim, ESA proposed the mission RAMSES (Rapid Apophis Mission for SEcurity and Safety) to reach Apophis before its close encounter. In this context, the paper focuses on the reachability analysis of (99942) Apophis, examining thousands of trajectories departing from Earth and reaching the asteroid before the fly-by, using a low-thrust spacecraft. A two-layer approach combining direct sequential convex programming and an indirect method is employed for fast and reliable trajectory optimization. The results reveal multiple feasible launch windows and provide essential information for mission planning and system design.