Spacecraft/Rover Hybrids for the Exploration of Small Solar System Bodies (Phase II Study. Final Report: NASA NIAC.)

Abstract: This study investigated a mission architecture that allows the systematic and affordable in-situ exploration of small solar system bodies, such as asteroids, comets, and Martian moons (Figure 1). The architecture relies on the novel concept of spacecraft/rover hybrids,which are surface mobility platforms capable of achieving large surface coverage (by attitude controlled hops, akin to spacecraft flight), fine mobility (by tumbling), and coarse instrument pointing (by changing orientation rela…