A depiction of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, as visualized by the Hubble Space Telescope.(Image source: NASA/ESA)
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The ingress of 3I/ATLAS into our planetary neighborhood gave rise to various proposals for a rendezvous mission to scrutinize it up close. Given its status as the third interstellar entity (ISO) ever identified, the abundance of data that direct investigations could yield would be cutting-edge in several aspects. Nevertheless, the structural blueprint for seizing an interstellar comet presents a multitude of substantial obstacles for mission designers and strategists. Foremost among them is the technology readiness level (TRL) of the suggested propulsion systems, which spans from typical rockets to directed-energy propulsion (DEP).
Up until now, mission suggestions have emphasized chemical rockets launched from Earth, such as NASA’s Janus mission and the ESA’s Comet Interceptor, or on existing missions such as the Juno probe readjusting their flight paths to converge with it. In a recent article, specialists from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies (i4is) suggest bypassing a direct transfer mission that would commence from Earth presently. Alternatively, they illustrate how a mission starting in 2035 could meet 3I/ATLAS by employing an indirect Solar Oberth maneuver.
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Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is swiftly heading away from our location. Can we ‘intercept’ it before it leaves us forever?
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The significant deterrents for a direct endeavor to meet with 3I/ATLAS originate from the targeted entity’s astronomical mechanics, its substantial heliocentric pace, and the belated original discovery. The primary issue essentially dismisses a rendezvous venture that relies on an integrated propulsion system to coincide with the comet’s speed, therefore enabling a prolonged detailed inspection of the body. Consequently, a flyby expedition is the favored choice. Nevertheless, the secondary and tertiary points disallow a direct endeavor given that the best launch date had previously transpired before it was spotted. As Hibberd outlined these for Universe Today through email:
“In the case of the direct mission, 3I/ATLAS was detected quite late, after its passage within Jupiter’s orbit, exhibiting velocities exceeding 60 km/s. Therefore, the ideal launch period for a direct interception was already over. One study suggested the ‘Comet Interceptor’ spacecraft would have faced challenges even if it had been stationed at the sun/Earth L2 point upon 3I/ATLAS’s initial discovery.”
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This is the scenario in which Hibberd made use of the Optimum Interplanetary Trajectory Software (OITS), which he himself programmed, to gauge the practicality of direct and indirect projects to intercept ISOs. This software maintains a distinguished history of successfully resolving ventures that involve Solar Oberths, like a prior i4is investigation for a project (Project Lyra) intending to intercept the premier ISO ever identified, ‘Oumuamua. Project Lyra and similar projects facilitated by OITS depend significantly on gravitational assists (GAs) and/or Oberth Maneuvers.
The former engages a slingshot operation that capitalizes on a planet’s (or moon’s) gravitation to build momentum. The latter entails a spacecraft, greatly influenced by the gravity of a massive object (the sun), that waits to reach its closest transit (perihelion), and then implements thrust to achieve an elevated heliocentric pace. By employing this strategy, the spacecraft can either attain departure velocity from the solar system, or gain sufficient speed to meet up with an ISO that has, by this point, covered an extensive distance. As articulated by Hibberd:
“In the case of the direct mission, 3I/ATLAS was detected quite late, after its passage within Jupiter’s orbit, exhibiting velocities exceeding 60 km/s. Therefore, the ideal launch period for a direct interception was already over. One study suggested the ‘Comet Interceptor’ spacecraft would have faced challenges even if it had been stationed at the sun/Earth L2 point upon 3I/ATLAS’s initial discovery.”
The Solar Oberth approach is formulated for occasions when an interstellar object has traveled through its perihelion (nearest point to the sun) and is quickly moving away from the sun. It acknowledges the understanding that an immense velocity must be formed by a spacecraft to pursue such an object and benefits from the recognized ‘Oberth Effect’ to conceive this velocity. When a spacecraft draws near the sun, the sun’s gravitational pull amplifies its velocity until it reaches the perihelion, the spacecraft then fires its solid-propellant engines at this optimized point, to intensify the ‘slingshot effect’, and to rapidly accelerate the probe towards the target object, which in this case is 3I/ATLAS.
OITS replication of a spacecraft intercepting 3I/ATLAS by utilizing a Solar Oberth technique.
In accordance with their OITS simulations, the crew deduced that an interception could be realized through a Solar Oberth move, but the commencement would have to happen in 2035 to secure the most favorable positioning amongst Earth, Jupiter, and 3I/ATLAS. The duration of the flight would span 50 years (although Hibberd mentions this period could be marginally shortened). “2035 is most advantageous since the alignments of the heavenly entities implicated (i.e. the Earth, Jupiter, sun, and 3I/ATLAS) are at their best to reach 3I/ATLAS with a minimum Solar Oberth propulsion demand from the probe, the least amount of execution needed for the launch vehicle, and the briefest flight timeframe to the objective,” he explained.
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Despite the mission taking an extensive period to encounter an ISO, the resulting scientific findings would be undeniably groundbreaking. Asteroids and comets are, in essence, matter leftover from the origination of planetary organizations. Therefore, studying ISOs could disclose information concerning other star structures without needing to forward expeditions, which might take centuries or longer. While DEP is being contemplated as a potential resolution, such as Swarming Proxima Centauri (another i4is initiative), the TRL of this notion is likely many decades away.
Meanwhile, a spacecraft built with present technology that is dependent on a Solar Oberth maneuver could approach an ISO and deliver a comprehensive breakdown in the same period. Even if intergalactic travel to adjacent stars for on-site observation never transpires, an ISO interceptor could reveal everything we need to discover about organizations situated outside our own.
The original iteration of this writing was distributed via Universe Today.
TOPICS3I/ATLAS
Matthew WilliamsScience reporter
Matt Williams is a science communicator, journalist, writer, and educator with over 20 years of experience in education and outreach. His articles have appeared in Universe Today, Interesting Engineering, HeroX, Phys.org, Business Insider, Popular Mechanics, and other notable publications. He is the host of Stories from Space, a weekly podcast about the past, present, and future of spaceflight, and a science fiction author with multiple published titles.
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Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is rapidly moving away from us. Can we ‘intercept’ it before it leaves us forever?
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