Block-like explorer of a near-earth body by achieving orbital proximity (BEEBOP)

BEEBOP is a remote sensing space mission designed to investigate 2016 HO3, an asteroid recently discovered that lies in a quasi-orbit about the Earth. This mission is designed as a precursor operation such that enough information about 2016 HO3 can be collected so future endeavors to the asteroid, if necessary, will have a higher probability of success. To drive down cost, a 6 U CubeSat with was selected as BEEBOP’s spacecraft. Optimal trajectories from Earth to 2016 HO3 were constructed by means of the Calculus of Variations and Indirect Method. Proximity operation trajectories were found by propagating the spacecraft forward in time within a developed model representing the environment around 2016 HO3. The Zero-Effort-Miss/Zero-Effort-Velocity Guidance Algorithm was utilized to maneuver between these trajectories. Lastly, the spacecraft subsystems were formed through multiple iterations until volumetric, mass, power, thermal, and science requirements were met.