M-Argo
The Miniaturised Asteroid Remote Geophysical Observer (M-Argo) is a planned space mission by the European Space Agency consisting of a 12U Cubesat that will fly-by an asteroid. DevelopmentThe M-Argo is 36.5cm wide and 22cm tall and will contain payloads to determine if there are any in-situ resources.[1][2][3] A Cubesat, M-Argo was largely made with cheap, standard parts that hundreds of other Cubsats use.[4] The probe was designed by a consortium led by the Luxembourg Space Agency, alongside TICRA, GomSpace, and KP Labs.[5][6] The M-Argo has its own propulsion system with twelve tiny gas jets to orientate and adjust its trajectory.[1] Due to the crafts small size several different designs were iterated before the development team decided upon electric propulsion.[1] The M-Argo is also outfitted with a multispectral imager and laser altimeter as its primary payloads to map the asteroid.[1] The multispectral imager was provided by the Polish firm KP Labs which also contributed AI algorithms it used on prior missions to process and compress data to save storage space.[7] The probe will communicate to earth with a specially designed X-band transponder and high-gain, flat-panel antenna.[1][2] The M-Argo will also use an experimental Deep-Space Optical Navigation system during its transit to its destination.[8] Additional payloads include optical GNC and radio science and the solar array orientation mechanism (μSADA).[9] Should the mission succeed, the ESA will approve a fleet of low-cost small spacecraft, perhaps 10 to 20 CubeSats at a time, to scout different asteroids on a surveying mission.[1] Roger Walker, overseeing ESA's Technology Cubesats, stated that M-Argo will "enable the cost of asteroid exploration to be reduced by an order of magnitude or more"[2] Asteroid selectionThe M-Argo team screened over 700,000 possible destinations, finding 150 suitable targets before settling on a shortlist of 5 to be narrowed down to 1 shortly before launch due to changing orbital dynamics.[10][1] The five selected asteroids differ in size, spin rate, and distance from the Earth.[1] All five targets are small near-earth asteroids less than 100m in diameter.[1] No asteroids of this type have been visited yet by probes.[1] LaunchDespite being largely constructed and ready for launch since 2021, the M-Argo has continuously run into problems securing a launch vehicle.[2] Initially, the M-Argo was supposed to launch on board a Vega-C in 2023, however, following the failure of Vega C flight VV22 the entire project, and its scheduled launches including the M-Argo where scrapped and redesigned.[11] Afterwards, the M-Argo was slated to be launched on-board an Ariane 6 in 2025, the back end of their launch window governed by the asteroid selection process. [12] However, difficulties with the Ariane flight VA262 delayed the rockets development. Currently, the M-Argo is scheduled for launch in 2026.[13] MissionM-Argo will spend six months in several different orbits around its destination asteroid collecting data on a repeating two-week pattern.[14][1][5] The M-Argo will use ground-based navigation similar to the Rosetta to determine these orbits.[1] See alsoReferences
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