Distant Retrograde Orbits for space-based Near Earth Objects detection

Abstract

We analyse a concept for the detection of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) from a space-based network of telescopes on retrograde Distant Periodic Orbits. Planar periodic orbits are designed in the Sun–Earth circular restricted three-body problem, starting from initial conditions in the Hill’s problem available from the literature. A family of retrograde orbits centred at the Earth is selected as baseline, based on their maximum distance from Earth, larger than the Earth–L2 distance. Indeed, spacecraft on such orbits can detect PHAs incoming from the Sun direction, which could not otherwise be monitored from current Earth-based systems. A trade-off on the orbit amplitude, asteroid diameter to be detected, and the constellation size is performed considering current visible sensor telescope technology. The Chelyabinsk meteor scenario is studied and the potential warning time that could be gained with a space-based survey system with respect to an Earth based-survey system is shown.