AIM: Asteroid touchdown
The 15 kg Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout-2 (Mascot-2) is building on the heritage of DLR’s Mascot-1 already flying on Japan’s Hayabusa-2. Launched in 2014, the latter will land on asteroid Ryugu in 2018. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) would help AIM to pinpoint its microlander’s resting place from orbit. As well as a solar array, AIM would also deploy its low frequency radar LFR instrument, while cameras perform visible and thermal surface imaging. AIM and DART together are known as the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment mission.
Tags:
- Double Asteroid Redirection Test
- AIDA (international space cooperation)
- Bodies of the Solar System
- Uncrewed spacecraft
- Space vehicles
- Planetary science
- Space probes
- Space exploration
- Discovery and exploration of the Solar System
- Space missions
- Flight
- Astronomy
- Outer space
- Spaceflight
- Space science
- Spacecraft
- Astronautics
- Solar System
- Spaceflight technology
- Planetary defense
- Space research
- Scientific exploration