Simulated Gravity Field Estimation for the Main Belt Comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro Based on a Satellite-to-satellite Tracking Mode

Most asteroids and comets are formed in the early stages of the solar system and therefore contain a wealth of information about their birth.The asteroid exploration mission planned in the coming years by China will likely target the celestial body named 133P/Elst-Pizarro(estimated diameter of about 4 km).The orbit of this asteroid stays within the asteroid belt,but nevertheless,it displays a comet-like dust tail.In this study,we used differential tracking data between two simulated probes and the data from an Earth station to estimate 133P gravity field model.This observation mode is similar to how the gravity field was estimated for large celestial objects in the GRAIL and GRACE missions,but here the object is the very small 133P asteroid.We compared the estimated gravity fields obtained for 133P from the satellite-to-satellite combined with the Earth-based two-way range-rate observation mode,with only the Earth-based two-way range rate mode.The results show that the accuracy of the low-degree(4 degree and order)estimate of the gravity field is improved by one order of magnitude by using the satellite-to-satellite combined with the Earth-based two-way range-rate observation mode with respect to the Earthonly tracking.Furthermore,another order of magnitude improvement in the gravity field solution is gained by decreasing the orbit altitude from 12 to 8 km.

A simulation experiment on the GM estimation for Comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro

In China’s asteroid mission to be launched around 2025,(7968)133 P/Elst-Pizarro(hereafter 133 P)will be the second target,after a visit to asteroid(469219)Kamo’oalewa.This paper describes a simulation of precise orbit determination for the spacecraft around comet 133 P,as well as estimation of its gravitational parameter(GM)value and the solar radiation pressure coefficient Cr for the spacecraft.Different cometocentric distances of 200,150 and 100 km orbits are considered,as well as two tracking modes:exclusive two-way range-rate mode(Earth station to spacecraft)and combinations of two-way range-rate and local spacecraft onboard ranging to the comet.Compared to exclusive two-way range-rate,the introduction of local ranging observables improves the final GM uncertainties by up to one order of magnitude.An ephemeris error in the orbit of 133 P is also considered,and we show that,to obtain a reliable estimate of the GM for 133 P,this error cannot exceed a one km range.