Mission Design and Target Selection for PRIAMOS, a European Asteroid Sample Return Mission

We report on the mission design and the target selection for the PRIAMOS (PRImordial Asteroid Mission to understand the Origin of the Solar system) mission to a D-type asteroid in a near Earth orbit [1]. PRIAMOS consists of a lander/return capsule "Asteroid Probe Operations, Sampling, and Sample Return Module" or APOSSUM, as a head unit and a transfer stage "Injection and Payload Carrier Module" (IPCM) that will inject the spacecraft into the asteroid orbit and which also carries instruments for the characterisation of the asteroid. The APOSSUM will sample the surface of the asteroid and will return to Earth after about three month at the asteroid without IPCM and will release its reentry capsule, which is planned to land in Australia.

Based on ESA’s M8 mission call framework, the mission aims for an asteroid that is reachable with the Ariane 64 as launcher. The mission is supposed to be concluded within a time frame of less than two years after launch. This limits the possible targets to Near Earth Asteroids (NEA). Three Asteroids are being considered at this point, with one as a designated first choice: 2009CV, a D-type asteroid in an Apollo orbit [2,3]. The search for further possible targets is ongoing.

For 2009CV we present a timeline of launch, possible trajectories and return to Earth as shown in Figure 1. Further, we discuss the different options for transfer trajectories and alternative targets.

Figure 1: Transfer of PRIAMOS between Earth and 2009CV and back.

 

[1] Kleine et al., this conference, 2025.

[2] M. A. Barucci u. a., „Small D-type asteroids in the NEO population: new targets for space missions“, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Bd. 476, Nr. 4, S. 4481–4487, Juni 2018, doi: 10.1093/mnras/sty532.

[3] https://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?tab=physprops&des=2009CV