A simulated gravity field estimation for the main belt comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro

The Main Belt Comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro is one of the targets in China’s asteroid exploration mission. To support this goal, gravity field estimation for this celestial object was simulated and analyzed using two-way and four-way range rate observations. A circular terminator orbit was designed for th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astrophysics and space science 2021-06, Vol.366 (6), Article 57
Main Authors: Gao, Wutong, Yan, Jianguo, Jin, Weitong, Yang, Chen, Meng, Linzhi, Barriot, Jean-Pierre
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asteroid missions
Asteroids
Astrobiology
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Astrophysics and Astroparticles
Belts
Comets
Cosmology
Earth stations
Gravitational fields
Least squares method
Observations and Techniques
Original Article
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Remote sensing
Simulation
Software
Space exploration
Space Exploration and Astronautics
Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics
Spacecraft
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Summary:The Main Belt Comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro is one of the targets in China’s asteroid exploration mission. To support this goal, gravity field estimation for this celestial object was simulated and analyzed using two-way and four-way range rate observations. A circular terminator orbit was designed for the spacecraft, and the forces acting on it were modeled to estimate the related dynamic values. Various solutions using different tracking modes and different orbital distances were approximated using the least squares method, constrained by the currently known GM bounds of this comet. The simulation results showed that unlike the two-way range rate observables, the four-way range rate observables are found to be able to reduce the correlations between the gravity field coefficients therefore decrease their uncertainties, especially in lower degrees.
ISSN:0004-640X
1572-946X
DOI:10.1007/s10509-021-03964-0