Calathus Mission
Proposed ESA space probe for the dwarf planet Ceres
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Calathus is a proposed student-designed Ceres sample-return mission, that would consist of an orbiter and a lander with an ascent module. The orbiter would be equipped with a camera, a thermal imager, and a radar; the lander will have a sampling arm, a camera, and a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The mission objective is to return as much as 40 grams (1.4 oz) of Ceresian soil.[1] The mission was designed and proposed in 2018 with support of ESA.[2]
The spacecraft would likely take samples from Occator Crater,[2] that was studied and photographed by NASA's Dawn. There are three main scientific questions that Calathus would investigate:[2]
- Does Ceres contains the ingredients for life?
- Where did Ceres form? did it migrate to its current location?
- Did objects like Ceres play a significant role in delivering water and organics to the inner planets?
Further reading
- "The Calathus Mission" (PDF). Alpbach Summer School.
- "SAMPLE RETURN FROM A RELIC OCEAN WORLD: THE CALATHUS MISSION TO OCCATOR CRATER, CERES" (PDF). 51st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2020). 2021.
