Abstract
The paper considers how a spacecraft can be put into orbit around a small asteroid to function as its artificial moon. We study the general behavior of perturbations that affect the current coordinates of an orbiting spacecraft and estimate the perturbations caused by the main perturbing factors, i.e., (1) the irregular shape of an asteroid and (2) celestial bodies of the Solar System. With specific orbital parameters, a long-term targeted operation of a spacecraft can be actualized in a mission to the asteroid Apophis where the spacecraft will carry a radio beacon transponder.
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