OKEANOS
A proposed space probe to Trojan asteroids / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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OKEANOS (Oversize Kite-craft for Exploration and Astronautics in the Outer Solar system) was a proposed mission concept to Trojan asteroids, which share Jupiter's orbit, using a hybrid solar sail for propulsion; the sail was planned to be covered with thin solar panels to power an ion engine. In situ analysis of the collected samples would have been performed by either direct contact or using a lander carrying a high-resolution mass spectrometer. A sample-return to Earth was an option under study.[4]
Names | Oversize Kite-craft for Exploration and Astronautics in the Outer Solar system Jupiter Trojan Asteroid Explorer |
---|---|
Mission type | Technology demonstration, Reconnaissance, Possible sample return |
Operator | JAXA |
Mission duration | ≈12 years >30 years for optional sample return |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Solar sail |
Manufacturer | ISAS and DLR |
Launch mass | 1400 kg |
Landing mass | ≈100 kg |
Payload mass | Spacecraft: 30 kg Lander: 20 kg [1] |
Dimensions | Sail/solar panel: 40×40 m (1600 m2) [2] Lander: 65 × 40 cm [1] |
Power | Max: 5 kW at Jupiter [2] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 2026 |
Rocket | H-IIA or H3[1] |
Launch site | Tanegashima Space Center |
Contractor | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
Jupiter Trojan lander | |
Landing date | 2039 [2] |
Main telescope | |
Wavelengths | Infrared |
Transponders | |
Band | X-band |
Capacity | 16 Kbps [3] |
Large Mission Class |
OKEANOS was a finalist for Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)' 2nd Large Mission Class to be launched in 2026,[2][5][6] and possibly return Trojan asteroid samples to Earth in the 2050s.[6][7] The winning mission was LiteBIRD.