Reference number : GC-2017-Q1-00357, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Braun, Alexander (Queen’s University), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Ontario, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Engage Grants for Universities, program name french : Subventions d'engagement partenarial pour les universités, program purpose english : Asteroids are abundant celestial objects and represent important research targets to study three relevant aspects,_x000D_
i) the hazard arising from a potential asteroid impact, ii) the economic benefits originating from asteroid_x000D_
mining, and iii) the knowledge gain towards improved an understanding of the origin of the solar system. In_x000D_
order to address those research questions, a number of asteroid mission concepts are currently under_x000D_
development at NASA and ESA, namely the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) and the Asteroid Impact_x000D_
Mission (AIM), respectively. Both missions involve asteroid visits in order to investigate structure, mineral_x000D_
composition, and potential redirection strategies. The proposed research aims at quantifying the gravity field_x000D_
and the density structure of a simulated asteroid and simulated surface boulders. NASA's Asteroid Redirect and_x000D_
Robotic Mission (ARRM) proposes to pick-up a boulder of 2-4 m in diameter from the asteroid surface._x000D_
Knowledge of boulder mass and integrity is critical to these mission objective. This project will determine the_x000D_
observation requirements for estimating the mass of selected boulders as well as the density structure of_x000D_
potential asteroid targets using gravity observations from two sources (simulated herein); i) spacecraft orbital_x000D_
data, and ii) asteroid surface gravity data. Orbital data would be available from spacecraft photogrammetric_x000D_
data, LiDAR, and orbit determination data (star trackers, accelerometers). Surface data would be available from_x000D_
a proposed gravimetry lander mission such as GRASP. The VEctor Gravimeter/Accelerometer (VEGA) built_x000D_
by GEDEX has an instrument sensitivity of ~1 nGal in space. Three vector components of the gravity field will_x000D_
be measured from a lander vehicle designed to survey the entire surface of an asteroid via propulsive hopping._x000D_
We will conduct forward/inverse modelling simulations by varying relevant gravity observation parameters_x000D_
such as station density, sensor accuracy, noise levels and combinations of orbital and surface data. This will_x000D_
lead to quantifiable estimates of observation sensitivity and sampling requirements for various boulders and_x000D_
asteroids with direct impact on mission planning and sensor development., program purpose french : Asteroids are abundant celestial objects and represent important research targets to study three relevant aspects,_x000D_
i) the hazard arising from a potential asteroid impact, ii) the economic benefits originating from asteroid_x000D_
mining, and iii) the knowledge gain towards improved an understanding of the origin of the solar system. In_x000D_
order to address those research questions, a number of asteroid mission concepts are currently under_x000D_
development at NASA and ESA, namely the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) and the Asteroid Impact_x000D_
Mission (AIM), respectively. Both missions involve asteroid visits in order to investigate structure, mineral_x000D_
composition, and potential redirection strategies. The proposed research aims at quantifying the gravity field_x000D_
and the density structure of a simulated asteroid and simulated surface boulders. NASA's Asteroid Redirect and_x000D_
Robotic Mission (ARRM) proposes to pick-up a boulder of 2-4 m in diameter from the asteroid surface._x000D_
Knowledge of boulder mass and integrity is critical to these mission objective. This project will determine the_x000D_
observation requirements for estimating the mass of selected boulders as well as the density structure of_x000D_
potential asteroid targets using gravity observations from two sources (simulated herein); i) spacecraft orbital_x000D_
data, and ii) asteroid surface gravity data. Orbital data would be available from spacecraft photogrammetric_x000D_
data, LiDAR, and orbit determination data (star trackers, accelerometers). Surface data would be available from_x000D_
a proposed gravimetry lander mission such as GRASP. The VEctor Gravimeter/Accelerometer (VEGA) built_x000D_
by GEDEX has an instrument sensitivity of ~1 nGal in space. Three vector components of the gravity field will_x000D_
be measured from a lander vehicle designed to survey the entire surface of an asteroid via propulsive hopping._x000D_
We will conduct forward/inverse modelling simulations by varying relevant gravity observation parameters_x000D_
such as station density, sensor accuracy, noise levels and combinations of orbital and surface data. This will_x000D_
lead to quantifiable estimates of observation sensitivity and sampling requirements for various boulders and_x000D_
asteroids with direct impact on mission planning and sensor development., agreement title english : Detectability of asteroid density distribution and boulder mass from spacecraft orbital data and asteroid surface gravimetry, agreement title french : Detectability of asteroid density distribution and boulder mass from spacecraft orbital data and asteroid surface gravimetry, agreement number : EGP, agreement value : 25000.0, agreement start date : 2017-04-25, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2018-2019), additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2018-2019), owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada