Don Quijote (space probe)

Don Quijote is a proposed space probe under consideration by the European Space Agency, which would study the effects of impacting a spacecraft into an asteroid. The mission is intended to test whether a spacecraft could successfully deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. The orbiter is being designed to last for seven years.

The mission is still in the planning stages with a launch expected in 2011 [http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/past_treasure_threat.html?342006] .

Overview

The mission will consist of two spacecraft that will execute a series of manoeuvres around a small, 500-metre (1,600-foot) asteroid.

*The first spacecraft, Sancho, will arrive at the asteroid and orbit it for several months, studying it. The orbiter will use a single xenon ion engine.
*After a few months, the second spacecraft, Hidalgo, will hurtle toward the asteroid on a collision course. Sancho will retreat to a safe distance while Hidalgo will impact the asteroid at around 10 km/s. The impactor will sleep for most of the trip and then steer itself using optical sensors with an accuracy of 50 meters.
*Sancho will then return to its close orbit and see how much the asteroid's shape, internal structure, orbit and rotation have been affected by the impact. [http://www.esa.int/gsp/NEO/quijote/quijote.htm]
*Sancho will release the Autonomous Surface Package which will free-fall toward the asteroid for 2 hours before landing. This package will be directed towards the interior of the impact crater were it will investigate properties of the surface.

Target

The ESA has identified two near-Earth asteroids as possible targets: mpl|2002 AT|4 and (10302) 1989 ML. A decision will be made in 2007. Neither asteroid represents a threat to Earth. [http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEML9B8X9DE_index_0.html]

Names

The mission is named after the fictional Spanish knight from Miguel de Cervantes' renowned novel, Don Quixote, who charged against a windmill, thinking it to be a giant. Like the Don, the Hidalgo spacecraft will 'attack' an object much larger than itself, hopefully with more impressive results. 'Sancho' is named after Sancho Panza, the Don's squire, who preferred to stay back and watch from a safe distance, which is the role assigned to that probe.

External links

* [http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/NEO/SEMZRZNVGJE_0.html ESA: NEO Space Mission Preparation (overview of the mission)]
* [http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEML9B8X9DE_index_0.html ESA News: ESA selects targets for asteroid-deflecting mission]