Project Lyra develops concepts for reaching interstellar objects such as 1I / 'Oumuamua and 2I / Borisov with a spacecraft, based on near-term technologies. But what is an interstellar object?
On October 19th 2017, the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS 1 telescope on Haleakala discovered a fast-moving object near the Earth, initially named A/2017 U1. It is now designated as 1I/’Oumuamua. This object was found to be not bound to the solar system. It has a velocity at infinity of ~26 km/s and an incoming radiant (direction of motion) near the solar apex in the constellation Lyra. Due to the non-observation of a tail in the proximity of the Sun, the object does not seem to be a comet but an asteroid. More recent observations from the Palomar Observatory indicate that the object is reddish, similar to Kuiper belt objects. This is a sign of space weathering.
When will such an object visit us again? End of 2019, a second interstellar object, 2I/Borisov was discovered, which is a comet. As 1I/‘Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov are the nearest macroscopic samples of interstellar material, the scientific returns from sampling the object are hard to overstate. Detailed study of interstellar materials at interstellar distances are likely decades away, even if Breakthrough Initiatives’ Project Starshot, for example, is vigorously pursued. Hence, an interesting question is if there is a way to exploit this unique opportunity by sending a spacecraft to 1I/’Oumuamua to make observations at close range.
To answer these questions, the Initiative for Interstellar Studies, i4is, announced Project Lyra on the 30th October 2017. The goal of the project is to assess the feasibility of a mission to 1I/’Oumuamua, 2I/Borisov and other potential interstellar objects, using current and near-term technology and to propose mission concepts for achieving a fly-by or rendezvous. The challenge is formidable: 1I/’Oumuamua has a hyperbolic excess velocity of 26 km/s, which translates to a velocity of 5.5 AU/year. It will be beyond Saturn’s orbit within two years. This is much faster than any object humanity has ever launched into space. Compare this to Voyager 1, the fastest object humanity has ever built, which has a hyperbolic excess velocity of 16.6 km/s. As 1I/’Oumuamua is already on its way of leaving our solar system, any spacecraft launched in the future needs to chase it. The challenge to reach the object could stretch the current technological envelope of space exploration.
After days of intense work, we have published some preliminary results on the 8th November 2017 for reaching the object within a timeframe of a few decades. The paper was published on arXiv. Subsequently, our arXiv paper created a surge of media articles, which can be found below.
A revised version of the paper "Project Lyra: Sending a spacecraft to 1I/’Oumuamua (former A/2017 U1), the interstellar asteroid" has been accepted by the journal Acta Astronautica and has been published on the 7th of January 2019.
In the paper, we demonstrate that missions to 'Oumuamua are feasible with current and near-term technologies (Falcon Heavy or Space Launch System launcher, solid rocket motors, and Parker Solar probe heat shield), with an optimal launch date in 2021. However, this launch date would be too soon for developing a dedicated spacecraft, something that usually takes 5 to 10 years for an interplanetary mission.
Hence, in January / February 2019, our team has worked on potential missions after 2024, leaving enough time for spacecraft development. The results have been published on arXiv on the 14th of February. In this paper, titled "Project Lyra: Catching 1I/'Oumuamua - Mission Opportunities After 2024", we show that missions to 'Oumuamua are possible with current and near-term technologies much later than 2021, with opportunities coming up in 2030, 2033, and even later dates. Trip times are 17 and 16 years, respectively, with arrival dates in 2047 and 2049.
A third paper, "Sending a Spacecraft to Interstellar Comet C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)" has been published on the 13th of September 2019 on arXiv, about two weeks after the discovery of 2I/Borisov.
We conclude that a mission to 'Oumuamua and Borisov are feasible, not only technologically, but also from a spacecraft development perspective.
In July and August 2020, we submitted two white papers to the 2023-2032 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, one addressing the science of such missions and the second mission concepts.
Project Lyra Publications
Hibberd, A., Hein, A.M., Eubanks, T.M., 2019. Project Lyra: Catching 1I/'Oumuamua - Mission Opportunities After 2024. arXiv preprint arXiv:1902.04935.
Hein, A. M., Perakis, N., Long, K. F., Crowl, A., Eubanks, M., Kennedy III, R. G., & Osborne, R. (2017). Project Lyra: Sending a Spacecraft to 1I/'Oumuamua (former A/2017 U1), the Interstellar Asteroid. arXiv preprint arXiv:1711.03155.
Our Project Lyra video
Project Lyra in videos
John Michael Godier - "An Interstellar Comet? C/2019 Q4 Comet Borisov" (19 Sept. 2019)
Scott Manley: 'Oumuamua - The Interstellar Interloper - Update
John Michael Godier: Interstellar Asteroid A/2017 U1 Update for 11/17/2017
MultiOmzz: Project lyra, a mission to chase down that interstellar asteroid
Interceptar OUMUAMUA, o asteróide interestelar - Projeto Lyra | Ed.Extra 036
Astronomiaweb: ¡Quieren enviar una Nave Espacial al Asteroide Oumuamua!
Project Lyra in the media
Discover Magazine: "How to Explore the Stars Without Ever Leaving Home" (1 Jul. 2020)
Wired: "Should Earthlings chase 'Oumuamua into interstellar space?" (12 Mar. 2020)
Technologie Média: "Une sonde sera lancée pour analyser la comète Borisov" (6 Oct. 2019)
National Geographic: "Interstellar comet starts coming into focus" (6 Oct. 2019)
Yahoo!News: "恒星間天体らしき「ボリソフ彗星」を追跡する探査機打ち上げは、まだ間に合うかも" (21 Sept. 2019)
Fox News: "Newly discovered interstellar visitor could be intercepted, study says" (20 Sept. 2019)
Space.com: "We Could Chase Down Interstellar Comet Borisov by 2045" (20 Sept. 2019)
NewsBeezer: "We could hunt an interstellar comet until 2045" (20 Sept. 2019)
Room: "Researchers calculate feasibility of sending a probe to C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)" (18 Sept. 2019)
Phys.org: "Could we intercept interstellar comet C/2019 Q4 Borisov?" (18 Sept. 2019)
Universe Today: "Could We Intercept Interstellar Comet C/2019 Q4 Borisov?" (17 Sept. 2019)
Centauri Dreams: "Could We Send a Probe to C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)?" (16 Sept. 2019)
P.M. Magazine: "'Oumuamua - Der erste Besucher" (July 2019)
Physics World (IOP): "Visitor from another star" (February 2019)
NBC News: "What is Oumuamua? Here's what we know about the interstellar object" (28 Jan. 2019)
Phys.org: A radio search for artificial emissions from 'Oumuamua (5th Dec. 2018)
Universe Today: "Interstellar Asteroid ‘Oumuamua Had a Violent Past" (16th Feb. 2018)
IEEE Spectrum: "How We Could Explore That Interstellar Asteroid" 29th Nov. 2017)
Universe Today: "Project Lyra, A Mission to Chase Down That Interstellar Asteroid" (23rd Nov.2017)
Technology.org: Interstellar Asteroid ‘Oumuamua Had a Violent Past (16th Feb. 2018)
DoubleHelix: "Interstellar Trveler Pays Us a Visit" (6th Feb. 2018)
Sina新浪科技: "SpaceX的巨型火箭或有能力让探测器追上“奥陌陌”" (4th Jan. 2018)
The Void Above: "Visitor from Above"
Dans La Lune: "Oumuamua - Un Visiteur Venu D'ailleurs" (26th Dec. 2017)
KIJK: "Kunnen we ‘Oumuamua nog van dichtbij bestuderen?" (23rd Dec. 2017)
163gorod.ru: "В космосе обнаружили корабль пришельцев в астероиде «Оумуамуа»" (12th Dec. 2017)
SciencePost: "Le Projet Lyra vise à chasser ce nouvel intrus venu d’ailleurs" (1st Dec. 2017)
London Review of Books: "From a Distant Solar System" by Nick Richardson
Rambler: "10 самых громких историй о космосе в 2017 году " (5th Dec. 2017)
Phys.org: "Project Lyra, a mission to chase down that interstellar asteroid" (24th Nov. 2017)
Asteroid Day: "Project Lyra, A Mission to Chase Down That Interstellar Asteroid" (24th Nov. 2017)
News.com.au: "Oumuamua: Race to examine Earth’s first interstellar visitor" (25th Nov. 2017)
Tech2: "Project Lyra, a Mission to Pursue that Interstellar Asteroid"
Tech Times: "SpaceX Mars-colonization Rocket May Help Chase Interstellar Asteroid" (29th Nov. 2017)
Geektimes: "A Close Look at Project Lyra (Пристальный взгляд на проект Лира)" (26th Nov. 2017)
ryb.ru: "Ученые: Догнать необыкновенный астероид удастся через 30 лет" (26th Nov. 2017)
ITnan: "Догнать ?Oumuamua! Проект «Лира» " (25th Nov. 2017)
AboutSpaceJournal: "Проект Лира постарается поймать межзвездный астероид" (26th Nov. 2017)
pikabu: "Смогут ли зонды догнать межзвездный астероид Оумуамуа?" (26th Nov. 2017)
Hauka (offnews): "Можем ли да уловим междузвездния астероид Оумуамуа?" (26th Nov. 2017)
Future Sciences: "Projet Lyra : une sonde pour explorer l'astéroïde `Oumuamua ?" (29th Nov. 2017)
Fredzone: "OUMUAMUA : L’ASTÉROÏDE INTERSTELLAIRE BIENTÔT EXPLORÉ ?" (1st Dec. 2017)
PC.SK: "Projekt Lyra: výprava k medzihviezdnému asteroidu" (28th Nov. 2017)
LIGA: "Проект Лира: предложено лететь с парусом к межзвездному астероиду" (24st Nov. 2017)
Golem.de: "Ein Kernreaktor für Raumsonden"
Spider's Web: "Planetoida ‘Oumuamua jest fascynująca, ale prawdopodobnie nigdy do niej nie dotrzemy"
