THE MUSES-C, WORLDS FIRST SAMPLE AND RETURN MISSION FROM NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID-NEREUS

The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) launches the e ngineering test spacecraft, MUSES-C toward a near Earth asteroid NEREU S (4660) in 2002. It is aiming at demonstrating four key technologies requisite for the future sample and return missions from extra terrest rial bodies. They are 1) An electrical propulsion, ion thrusters in in terplanetary field as a primary propulsive means, 2) An autonomous gui dance and navigation based on optical aid, 3) An automated sampling me chanism and 4) A direct hyperbolic reentry of the recovery capsule to the ground. This paper presents the current design status of MUSES-C f ocusing its attention on the contents and readiness of above mentioned key technologies. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.