On Ability of Missions to the Main Belt Asteroids of Spacecraft with Electro-Rocket Propulsion
Abstract:
The ability of use of spacecraft with low thrust (now worked out in Project “Fobos-Ground”) for Main Belt asteroids’ missions is considered. The goal of such missions is delivering of relic matter from asteroids back to the Earth. It may give important data for the sciences about the Earth. Flights to asteroids with maneuver in gravysphere of Mars, and straight flights to asteroids of spacecraft with enhanced solar arrays are investigated. Estimation of energy consumption of flights into the middle part of the Main Belt is also done.