The descent and bouncing path of the Hayabusa2 lander MASCOT at asteroid (162173) Ryugu

Authors:

F. Scholten1*, F. Preusker1, S. Elgner1, K.-D. Matz1, R. Jaumann1, J. Biele2, D. Hercik3, H.-U. Auster3, M. Hamm1, M. Grott1, C. Grimm4, T.-M. Ho4, A. Koncz1, N. Schmitz1, F. Trauthan1, S. Kameda5, S. Sugita6,7, R. Honda8, T. Morota6, E. Tatsumi6,9 Y. Cho6, K. Yoshioka10, H. Sawada11, Y. Yokota11, N. Sakatani11, M. Hayakawa11, M. Matsuoka11, M. Yamada11, T. Kouyama12, H. Suzuki13, C. Honda14, K. Ogawa15,


Affiliations:

1 German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, 12489 Berlin, Germany

2 German Aerospace Center (DLR), Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC), Cologne, Germany

3 Technical University Braunschweig, Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany

4 German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Space Systems, Bremen, Germany

5 Department of Physics, Rikkyo University, 3-34-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan

6 University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan

7 Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, 2-17-1 Tsudanuma, Narashino, Chiba, Japan

8 Department of Information Science, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono, Kochi, Japan

9 Instituto de Astrofisica de Canrias, University of La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

10 Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan

11 SAS, JAXA, 3-3-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

12 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 2-3-26 Aomi, Koto, Tokyo, Japan

13 Department of Physics, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan

14 CAIST/ARC-Space, University of Aizu, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan

15 Department of Planetology, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodaicho, Nada, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

*Correspondence to: Frank Scholten

Astronomy & Astrophysics, 634, L3 (2019)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201936757

 

Abstract:

Images from the ONC cameras onboard the Hayabusa2 spacecraft show the MASCOT lander during its descent to the surface of Asteroid (162173) Ryugu. We used results from a previous stereo-photogrammetric analysis that provided precise ONC image orientation data (camera position and pointing), ONC orthoimages, and an ONC-based 3D surface model to combine them with the visibilities of MASCOT itself and its shadow on-ground within the ONC images. We integrated additional information from instruments onboard MASCOT (MASMag, MARA, MASCam) and derived MASCOT’s release position and modeled its free-fall descent path and its velocity over 350 s from its release at ~41 m altitude above ground until its first contact with the surface of Ryugu. After the first contact, MASCOT bounced over the surface of Ryugu for 663 s and came to rest at its first settlement point after four intermediate surface contacts. We used again ONC images that show MASCOT and partly its shadow and recon­structed the bouncing path and the respective velocities of MASCOT. The achieved accuracy for the entire descent and bouncing path is ~0.1 m (1 σ).


Results

MASCOT's descent and bouncing path
(path coordinates and velocities)

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