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This replica model of ESA\u2019s \u2018Miniaturised Asteroid Remote Geophysical Observer\u2019, or M-Argo, was on display at the Agency\u2019s recent Antennas workshop<\/a>. It is the one of numerous small missions planned as part of in ESA\u2019s Technology Strategy<\/a>, being presented at this month\u2019s Space19+<\/a> Council at Ministerial Level.<\/p>\n This is a suitcase-sized nanospacecraft based on the CubeSat design employing standardised 10 cm cubic units within which electronic boards can be stacked and subsystems attached. M-Argo is a 12-unit CubeSat \u2013 with a 22 x 22 x 34 cm body \u2013 that would hitch a ride on the launch of a larger space mission whose trajectory takes it beyond Earth orbit, such as astronomy missions to a Sun\u2013Earth Lagrange point.<\/p>\n The CubeSat would then use its own miniaturised electric thruster to take it into deep space and rendezvous with an asteroid, which it would survey using a multispectral camera and a laser altimeter to look for resources \u00a0such as hydrated minerals that could be extracted in future. Other miniaturised payloads are also being considered.<\/p>\n \u201cSuch a small spacecraft has never independently travelled through deep space to rendezvous with an asteroid before,\u201d comments Roger Walker, overseeing ESA\u2019s Technology Cubesats<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cIt will enable the cost of asteroid exploration to be reduced by an order of magnitude or more.\u201d<\/p>\n Numerous miniaturised technologies are currently being developed to enable the M-Argo mission, including the electric propulsion system, a high frequency \u2018X-band\u2019 communications system with a flat panel antenna \u2013 as seen in the image \u2013 to communicate with Earth at distances of up to 150 million km and a mechanism to steer the solar panels constantly at the Sun to generate enough power for the electric propulsion and communications systems.<\/p>\n The M-Argo CubeSat and its mission are currently being designed for ESA by a team consisting of Gomspace<\/a> in Luxembourg and Politecnico di Milano<\/a> in Italy.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team has identified a total of 148 near-Earth asteroids potentially reachable for a rendezvous using design,\u201d adds Roger. \u201cFrom these, five different asteroids have been carefully selected for further analysis in terms of optimising their rendezvous trajectories and close-up navigation – some of the closest to Earth in terms of the amount of fuel needed to get there: a key consideration for future mining of in-situ resources.<\/p>\n \u201cM-Argo design has recently reached a milestone with the Mission Definition Review, which confirms that the CubeSat can rendezvous with any one of these five different asteroids, if launched during the 2023-2025 timeframe. The M-Argo team will now focus on completing the design concept of the CubeSat up until April next year. \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time ESA is designing a low-cost spacecraft for asteroid mining purposes in line with the Luxembourg space strategy<\/a>. M-Argo and numerous other innovative technology-testing CubeSat missions, are being supported through the Fly element of the Agency\u2019s General Support Technology Programme<\/a>, part of ESA\u2019s Technology Strategy being presented at Space19+.\u201d says Kenza Benamar, Coordinator of the Fly element.<\/p>\n Also being presented at the Ministerial is the Hera asteroid mission, a larger-scale spacecraft that would deploy two CubeSats<\/a> when it reaches its target binary asteroid system.<\/p>\n