The other day we witnessed one of the smashing late scientific discovery , when an asteroid from another planetary system – 1I/2017 U1 ( ` Oumuamua ) – wasfound in our Solar System .
It was the first time we ’ve ever recognise an interstellar visitor , marking a rarified case in our history of uranology . But it begged the interrogation , would it be potential for us to inspect the asteroid and take it ?
That ’s what a grouping called the Insitute For Interstellar Studies ( i4is ) has been looking into . In a newspaper published onarXiv , they ’ve looked at the various way we might be capable to catch up to and study this uncommon objective .
" The first in spades interstellar object 1I/’Oumuamua ( antecedently A/2017 U1 ) observed in our solar organisation provides the opportunity to directly contemplate fabric from other star arrangement , " they write . " Can such object be intercepted ? "
Now , the freehanded job is that this object is rush out of our Solar System at about 138,000 kilometers per minute ( 86,000 international mile per minute ) . It ’s anticipate to decelerate down to 95,000 kilometers per time of day ( 59,000 miles per hour ) , but this still presents a trouble .
Our riotous current ballistic capsule is Voyager 1 , which is make its way out of the Solar System at 61,200 km / total heat ( 38,000 mph ) . It pack quite a few year for it to reach this speed , though ; our fastest spacecraft at launch was New Horizons , at 58,536 km / h ( 36,373 mph ) .
These are , of course , not tight enough to catch ' Oumuamua . But i4is await at a number of current and egress technologies that might be capable of doing so within five to 30 eld .
Using be chemical substance propulsion , coupled with a Jupiter flyby , they say it might be potential to catch up to the physical object . You ’d demand a mint of propellant , though , so we ’d need to use an approaching weighed down - lift rocket likeSpaceX ’s BFRor NASA ’s SLS to make this work .
" One likely missionary station computer architecture is to make function of SpaceX ’s Big Falcon Rocket ( BFR ) and their in - place refueling technique with a launching appointment in 2025 , " they write .
" To achieve the compulsory hyperbolic surplus ( at least 30 klick / s [ 108,000 kph ] ) a Jupiter flyby combined with a skinny solar flyby ( down to 3 solar radius ) , nickname ' solar fryby ' is envisioned . "
If this were launched in 2025 , a spacecraft using this method acting at 252,000 km / h ( 157,000 miles per hour ) could bug Oumuamua in 2039 at a length of 85 AU ( astronomical units , 1 AU is the Earth - Sun distance ) , twice the orbit of Pluto , going at 70 kilometer / s. At 144,000 kilometre / henry ( 90,000 miles per hour ) , the object can be intercepted in 2051 at 155 AU .
As it wo n’t be potential to slacken down at these speeds and thus revolve the asteroid , i4is suggests the mission could carry an impactor with it to thrash into the asteroid . The mother spacecraft could notice the resultant plume of debris to shape out what it ’s made of .
Another challenging possible action is making use of solar or optical maser cruise engineering . TheBreakthrough Starshotproject is presently looking at the latter to send a diminutive investigation to our cheeseparing whizz , Proxima Centauri . exchangeable engineering could be employed here .
Launching in 2021 , the research worker say that using a 2.74 - megawatt laser shaft , they could attain ' Oumuamua in about seven days . This probe would be just one gramme in size , so science would be limit , but with a bigger optical maser , you’re able to send a bigger investigation .
" However , with such a laser beaming infrastructure in property , hundreds or even thousands of probe could be sent , " they observe .
" Such a swarm - based or distributed architecture would allow for collect information over a orotund hunting volume without the limitations of a undivided monumental ballistic capsule . "
This work is only a case study at the moment , so none of these plan are being put into action yet . But i4is plan to pick two or three of the most promising concepts and canvas them further .
Even if we escape out on ' Oumuamua , stargazer now reckon an interstellar object pass off into our Solar System every twelvemonth . If we can blot one a act originally next time , maybe we can have a charge ready to intercept it .
