NASA’s new spacecraft “NEA Scout” – Burning Issues

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Recently, NASA announced that its new spacecraft, named NEA Scout, has completed all required tests and has been safely tucked inside the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
NEA Scout is one of several payloads that will hitch a ride on Artemis I, which is expected to be launched in November.
Artemis I will be an uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket.
Under the Artemis programme, NASA has aimed to land the first woman on the Moon in 2024 and also establish sustainable lunar exploration programs by 2030.

Near-Earth Asteroid Scout, or NEA Scout, is a small spacecraft, about the size of a big shoebox.
Its main mission is to fly by and collect data from a near-Earth asteroid.
It will also be America’s first interplanetary mission using a special solar sail propulsion.

This type of propulsion is especially useful for small, lightweight spacecraft that cannot carry large amounts of conventional rocket propellant.
NEA Scout will use stainless steel alloy booms and deploy an aluminum-coated sail measuring 925 square feet.
The large-area sail will generate thrust by reflecting sunlight.
Energetic particles of sunlight bounce off the solar sail to give it a gentle, yet constant push.
Over time, this constant thrust can accelerate the spacecraft to very high speeds, allowing it to navigate through space and catch up to its target asteroid.
The spacecraft will take about two years to cruise to the asteroid and will be about 93 million miles away from Earth during the asteroid encounter.

NEA Scout is equipped with special cameras and can take pictures ranging from 50 cm/pixels to 10 cm/pixels.
It can also process the image and reduce the file sizes before sending them to the earth-based Deep Space Network via its medium-gain antenna.
The images gathered by NEA Scout will provide critical information on the asteroid’s physical properties such as orbit, shape, volume, rotation, the dust and debris field surrounding it, plus its surface properties.

Despite their size, some of these small asteroids could pose a threat to Earth.
Understanding their properties could help us develop strategies for reducing the potential damage caused in the event of an impact.
Scientists will use this data to determine what is required to reduce risk, increase effectiveness, and improve the design and operations of robotic and human space exploration.

Catching a ride on Artemis I, NEA Scout will deploy from the Space Launch System after the Orion spacecraft is separated from the upper stage.
Once it reaches the lunar vicinity, it will perform imaging for instrument calibration.
Using a science-grade camera, NEA Scout will obtain data that will help close gaps in knowledge about near-Earth asteroids. NASA identifies what are known as Strategic Knowledge Gaps, or SKGs, to determine what is required to reduce risk, increase effectiveness and improve the design and operations of robotic and human space exploration missions.
SKGs help inform research and investment strategies and to prioritize technology development for human and robotic exploration.
While cold gas thrusters will provide the initial propulsive maneuvers to place the spacecraft on the right trajectory, NEA Scout’s solar sail will enable extended propulsion and efficient transit to the targeted asteroid during its approximate two-year cruise.