Intercepting Interstellar Objects

2025/11/29 by C. Snodgrass, Colin Snodgrass, Snodgrass, Colin +11 · 1 voice
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life #Spacecraft Dynamics and Control #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.IM

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2512.00492

Abstract

We describe how the ESA Comet Interceptor mission, which is due to launch in 2028/29 to a yet-to-be-discovered target, can provide a conceptual basis for a future mission to visit an Interstellar Object. Comet Interceptor will wait in space until a suitable long period comet is discovered, allowing rapid response to perform a fast flyby of an object that will be in the inner Solar System for only a few years; an enhanced version of this concept could realistically provide the first in situ investigation of a visitor from another star system.

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• As elsewhere, we'll post here content from older newsletters, join us at www.i4is.org/members for the latest. Dec-25 [1] : A paper by Colin Snodgrass describes how the ESA Comet Interceptor can provid [bsky, 2 points, 0 comments]

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