DESTINY+ (Demonstration and Experiment of Space Technology for INterplanetary voYage with Phaethon fLyby and dUst Science) is a planned mission to fly by the Geminids meteor shower parent body 3200 Phaethon, and sample dust originating from the "rock comet".[4] The spacecraft is being developed by the Japanese space agency JAXA and will demonstrate advanced technologies for future deep space exploration. As of October 2024, DESTINY+ is planned to be launched in fiscal year 2028.[3]
Overview
DESTINY+ will be launched from Tanegashima Space Center on an H3launch vehicle into low Earth orbit,[3] and will spend 1.5 years raising its orbit with ion engines.[2] A launch vehicle change from Epsilon S to H3 delayed the launch date from 2025 to 2028.[3] A lunar flyby (at ~300,000 km (190,000 mi)) will accelerate the probe into an interplanetary orbit. During this cruise time it will fly by a few near Earth objects for study, including the transition body 3200 Phaethon in 2030, as well as measure interplanetary and interstellar dust.[3][5][6]
The probe's ion engines have the capability to perform another orbit transfer to study additional objects.[1]
Objectives
DESTINY+ will be a technology demonstrator to further improve operations of low cost solar electric propulsion in deep space. It will also demonstrate innovative light-weight solar array panel technology. The scientific aspect of this mission is to understand origin and nature of dusts, which are key sources of organic compounds to Earth. It will also observe dusts from comet/asteroid 3200 Phaethon using a dust analyzer and will map its surface using a multiband telescopic camera to understand the mechanisms of dust ejection.[2] The spacecraft will come as close as 500 km (310 mi) from 3200 Phaethon.[2]
Spacecraft
DESTINY+ will use ultra light-weight solar panels and heat-actuated folding radiators, along with compact avionics. The spacecraft is designed to tolerate a radiation dose up to approximately 30 krad by using a 3 mm aluminum shield.[2]
Propulsion
The spacecraft will be propelled by four μ10 solar electric ion engines,[2] as used by Hayabusa and Hayabusa2, but while its predecessors operated only up to three engines simultaneously, DESTINY+ will use all four simultaneously[7] for a total thrust of 40 mN (specific impulse: 3000 seconds; acceleration: 83 μm/s2; power: 1670 watts.[2]) The total dry mass (excludes xenon propellant) of the ion engine system is 59 kg (130 lb).[2]
Payload
DESTINY+ will carry three scientific instruments:[5]
Telescopic Camera for Phaethon (TCAP) — The telescopic camera has a mass of 15.8 kg.[2]
Multiband Camera for Phaethon (MCAP) — The multiband camera has a mass of 3.5 kg and will detect light in 390 nm, 550 nm, 700 nm, 850 nm wavelengths.[2]
^ abcdefg"宇宙科学・探査ミッションの進捗状況について" [Space Science and Exploration Mission Progress] (PDF). ISAS (in Japanese). CAO. 9 October 2024. p. 11. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
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