AMBITION – comet nucleus cryogenic sample return
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Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We describe the AMBITION project, a mission to return the first-ever cryogenicallystored sample of a cometary nucleus, that has been proposed for the ESA Science
Programme Voyage 2050. Comets are the leftover building blocks of giant planet
cores and other planetary bodies, and fingerprints of Solar System’s formation processes. We summarise some of the most important questions still open in cometary
science and Solar System formation after the successful Rosetta mission. We show
that many of these scientific questions require sample analysis using techniques that
are only possible in laboratories on Earth. We summarize measurements, instrumentation and mission scenarios that can address these questions. We emphasize the need
for returning a sample collected at depth or, still more challenging, at cryogenic temperatures while preserving the stratigraphy of the comet nucleus surface layers. We
provide requirements for the next generation of landers, for cryogenic sample acquisition and storage during the return to Earth. Rendezvous missions to the main belt
comets and Centaurs, expanding our knowledge by exploring new classes of comets,
are also discussed. The AMBITION project is discussed in the international context
of comet and asteroid space exploration.
Programme Voyage 2050. Comets are the leftover building blocks of giant planet
cores and other planetary bodies, and fingerprints of Solar System’s formation processes. We summarise some of the most important questions still open in cometary
science and Solar System formation after the successful Rosetta mission. We show
that many of these scientific questions require sample analysis using techniques that
are only possible in laboratories on Earth. We summarize measurements, instrumentation and mission scenarios that can address these questions. We emphasize the need
for returning a sample collected at depth or, still more challenging, at cryogenic temperatures while preserving the stratigraphy of the comet nucleus surface layers. We
provide requirements for the next generation of landers, for cryogenic sample acquisition and storage during the return to Earth. Rendezvous missions to the main belt
comets and Centaurs, expanding our knowledge by exploring new classes of comets,
are also discussed. The AMBITION project is discussed in the international context
of comet and asteroid space exploration.
Date Issued
2022-12-01
Date Acceptance
2021-06-01
Citation
Experimental Astronomy, 2022, 54, pp.1077-1128
ISSN
0922-6435
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Start Page
1077
End Page
1128
Journal / Book Title
Experimental Astronomy
Volume
54
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2021. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License,
which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as
Experimental Astronomy
you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons
licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are
included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the
material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not
permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly
from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as
Experimental Astronomy
you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons
licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are
included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the
material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not
permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly
from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09770-4
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-07-21