THE EFFECT OF COMET OUTGASSING AND DUST EMISSION ON THE NAVIGATION OFAN ORBITING SPACECRAFT

A spacecraft orbiting a comet nucleus will experience a force from the pressure of expanding gas and dust that will vary widely depending on the position of the spacecraft relative to the comet, the distance of the comet from the Sun, and the activity of the comet surface in resp onse to solar energy input. An empirical model of comet outgassing and a dust jet model are defined. The orbit determination strategy and re sulting trajectory and pointing errors are discussed for a range of co met masses, spacecraft orbital radii and inclinations, and outgassing and dust jet pressures.