Using a CubeSat camera to take images of a near-Earth asteroid might sound like an idea from science fiction movies. However, it’s not. A CubeSat camera has many capabilities, as it’s one of the most advanced space technology tools out there. And since our planet may one day be at risk of an asteroid strike, scientists are working hard to develop CubeSat cameras that can take pictures of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs).
CubeSat Cameras And Near-Earth Asteroids
What Was The Closest Asteroid To Earth In History?
The risk of an asteroid hitting our planet will always exist. One of the closest asteroids to Earth in history is 2023 BU, which passed over South America’s southern tip at around 2,200 miles, or 3,450 km above the planet’s surface, on January 26, 2023. According to reports from NASA, our planet wasn’t at risk of being hit by this asteroid. However, the distance at which this NEO passed was within our global satellites’ orbit. If 2023 BU, which measures 11.5 – 28 feet or 3.5 – 8.5 meters across, had entered our atmosphere, it would have become a fireball and ultimately disintegrated. Its remaining debris would have turned into small meteorites and fallen to our planet’s surface, says NASA. According to scientific estimations, this asteroid has an elongated orbit, but we could have even more info about it if we used advanced CubeSat cameras.
How Many Near-Earth Asteroids Have There Been Today?
According to astronomers, there have been about 9,000 NEOs discovered as of today — and CubeSat cameras play a part in their discovery. Unfortunately, these numbers are large and represent just a small part of what might be out there. NEOWISE reports that over 90% of the total number of NEOs with a diameter of 1 km or larger have already been discovered. An asteroid of this size would have serious global consequences. When it comes to asteroids that have a diameter of only 100 meters, astronomers have discovered only 20-30% of them so far. Space rocks of this size would not cause a global extinction event, but they could seriously damage large regions. With a CubeSat camera, we can take images of asteroids of all sizes to determine if we can do anything to prevent their impact on our planet and any tragedy that might follow after such an event.
What Are The Colors Of An Asteroid?
Most asteroids are grey, as they contain iron and nickel. They resemble Earth rocks, only that they orbit the Sun and travel through space. However, according to CubeSat camera images, not all asteroids contain these metals or have a grey color. For instance, there are also C-type or Carbonaceous asteroids. These rocks make up more than 75% of the asteroids we have identified so far. Scientists believe they’re made largely from silicate rock and clay. And for this reason, they are also grey. Then, we have CubeSat camera data on S-type or siliceous asteroids, which make up for about 20% of all asteroids we have discovered so far. According to reports, these objects consist of iron, nickel, and silicate materials, so they are red, green, and grey. Last, there are the M-type or Metallic asteroids, which might contain iron and nickel and have a reddish color. According to space experts, asteroids become red with time because their surface interacts with cosmic rays and Sun particles. Using a CubeSat camera, we won’t have any problem taking a closer look at asteroids and determining what colors they have, how old they are, and what are their constituent materials. Particularly if those CubeSat cameras are equipped with proper lenses.
Capabilities Of CubeSat Camera
CubeSats come in standard, easily-salable dimensions, and their camera design can be made uniform, too. This reduces budgets for CubeSat camera production, making this tech available to research institutions that do not have enormous budgets. In other words, most scientific establishments would be able to afford cameras for CubeSat spacecraft, which would increase their use in deep space exploration missions.
Today, electro-optical contractors work hard on building the most advanced CubeSat camera for scientific space exploration. And taking pictures of near-Earth asteroids remains one of the top priorities for CubeSat cameras and other EOS cameras. For example, scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) want CubeSat cameras that map asteroids not only at the local scale but also at the regional one. Further, they are interested in rotation characterization, colors, and volume estimation. So far, we don’t know more about the operational goals regarding CubeSat cameras development at JPL, but more information might arrive soon.
So, even though NEOs can be potentially dangerous, CubeSat cameras and other space tech are watching over our safety. Still, further investment into developing the most advanced CubeSat cameras is essential for our efforts in learning more about NEOs. Using CubeSat cameras, we can find out almost everything there is to know about potential hazards to our homes.
