NEO-MAPP µLANDER GN&C FOR SAFE AUTONOMOUS LANDING ON SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES

Current missions on Small Solar System Bodies (SSSB) imply long surveying and characterization phases before surface landing is attempted, which decrease time for potential surface activities. The proposed mission concept aims to initiate surface interaction early after arrival in the vicinity of the target SSSB. The lander architecture is designed to allow a safe soft landing and to allocate selected payload developed in the NEOMAPP study from the European Commission. In addition, a GNC system is developed to run autonomously and enable the spacecraft to safely meet its scientific and mission objectives. Robustness is a major system driver due to the uncharacterized irregular gravity field and limited prior knowledge of the surface as a consequence of the early deployment. Autonomy is fundamental due to long communication delays, and it is addressed via a vision-based solution for navigation and hazard detection and avoidance. In this paper, a μLander mobility backpack is designed as the GNC system to cope with these restrictions within a limited mass budget. The mission reference scenario is based on the DART-Hera environment and operations. Firstly, the system drivers and requirements are identified, and a GNC subsystem design is derived to softly land on the surface. Different avionics suites are compared, traded off, and one is selected. Operational strategies and solutions selection are detailed with strong focus on vision-based technologies to comply with the mass limitation. The developed operational concept and the selected GNC design enable a safe autonomous landing to increase mission lifetime and scientific return of upcoming SSSB missions.