I developed software to study missions to the planets and used it to research trajectories to Interstellar Object 'Oumuamua. I am also a pianist/composer.
Thanks for this Tony, an alternative animation is available here:
youtube.com/watch?v=95NR7w…
Also note there are alternative trajectories for Project Lyra, like exploiting a Jupiter Oberth Manoeuvre (with no exceedingly hot perihelion), go here:
researchgate.net/profile/Adam-H…
Project Lyra explores the possibility of sending a spacecraft to chase 'Oumuamua using an Earth gravity assist to reach Jupiter, which robs the craft of almost all its speed, causing it to drop to the Sun for an Oberth maneuver.
Thanks @hibberdadam994 for the trajectory data!
This would be a 'fryby' of the Sun. The Interstellar Probe people at JHU have studied a Solar Oberth at 3 Solar Radii (SR), for their concept study. PL would have a higher perihelion of 6 SR. PSP will get down to around 10SR, I calculate PL has a solar flux 3 x higher than PSP.
A mission to an asteroid which is permanently within the orbit of Venus, ꞌAylóꞌchaxnim, as solved and animated by my softwre development, OITS (Optimum Interplanetary Trajectory Software):
youtube.com/watch?v=poL8QI…
Project Lyra explores the possibility of sending a spacecraft to chase 'Oumuamua using an Earth gravity assist to reach Jupiter, which robs the craft of almost all its speed, causing it to drop to the Sun for an Oberth maneuver.
Thanks @hibberdadam994 for the trajectory data!
That is a higher perihelion than for the nominal mission scenario (which reaches 6 SR), yet is around the same perihelion distance as the NASA Parker Solar Probe will reach, with the same top speed also.
For anyone interested in #ProjectLyra and would like to find more out about my software development OITS (Optimum Interplanetary Trajectory Software). A simplifed guide is provided for you in this Principium issue:
That kink after the Jupiter encounter ensures the subsequent perihelion reached by the probe is on the other side of the Sun from Jupiter, allowing the necessary alignment of the Solar Oberth burn to accelerate the craft to 'Oumuamua.
For those fo you interested in Project Lyra animations, do go to my friend Justin's animation of the Solar Oberth option here:
oits3d.justinhui.com/#/animation/aH…
I was just returning to my discovery concerning 'Oumuamua's orbit which has NOT been widely publicised and indeed I think is not widely known. But let me start from what IS known, see below.