AAS 95-380

Multiple Encounter Missions with the Trojan and Main Belt Asteroids

D. F. Bender and P. A. Penzo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA

Abstract

The clustering of 180 Trojan asteroids along the orbit of Jupiter about equally divided between the L4 and L5 libration point regions allows opportunities for double flybys of two asteroids in either group on a single trajectory from Earth. Since each passage through the main asteroid belt can include an additional flyby, trajectories with four asteroid flybys in five years are obtained. A computer program that indicates possible pairs of Trojans for such a trajectory has been successful in locating about eight trajectories per year from 1998 through 2008 which require minimum post launch delta-V. The technique used for determining candidate pairs of Trojans will be described and tables of examples of these trajectories will be presented.