Acta Optica Sinica, Volume. 45, Issue 18, 1828003(2025)
Application of Space Optical Payloads in Near-Earth Asteroid Defense (Invited)
Figures & Tables(4)
![Exploded-view drawing of DRACO with major components labeled[6]](/Images/icon/loading.gif){kind=icon}
Table 1. Technical specifications and inheritance of optical payloads
View tableTable 1. Technical specifications and inheritance of optical payloads
Mission/payload Parameter Inheritance Improvement Achievement DART/DRACO camera Angular resolution is 2.48 µrad;aperture is 208 mm; field of view is 0.29°; magnitude detection is 14.5 New Horizons, Lucy/LORRI Changed CCD to CMOS; global/rolling shutter dual-mode operation; integrated SMART Nav autonomous navigation algorithm; optimized adaptability to low-temperature conditions [(-85±5) ℃] Autonomous guidance achieved cm-level impact point positioning for 160 m-class asteroids (1σ error ±68 cm); obtained the size and quantity distribution of boulders on asteroids Hera/AFC camera Spectral band is 370‒1100 nm;angular resolution is 94.1 µrad; field of view is 5.5°×5.5° Astrohead cameras Improved close-range imaging resolution (10 cm/pixel); balanced dual-mode functions of navigation and imaging Supports 3D shape reconstruction and accurate volume calculation of binary systems; determines density and internal structure by combining mass data Hera/TIRI thermal infrared imager 7‒14 μm mid-infrared spectral band; resolution is 5 m@20 km;field of view is 13°×10°;temperature measurement range is 150‒400 K; accuracy is 3 K Hayabusa 2/ TIR Resolution increased by 4 times; expanded spectral band width; sensor changed to Lynred Pico 1024 Gen 2 Retrieves thermal inertia through surface temperature distribution, infers thermophysical properties such as roughness and porosity, and helps understand the Yarkovsky/YORP effect[ 10 ]Hera/HyperScout H imaging spectrometer Spectral band is 665‒975 nm; angular resolution is 133 µrad; field of view is 16°×8°; number of spectral bands is 25 HyperScout-2 Simplified the infrared spectral band;
reduced the number of spectral bands from 45 to 25; lightweight design
Detects post-impact surface mineral changes, impact crater space weathering effects, and ejecta deposition to support impact effect evaluation Hera/ASPECT hyperspectral imager Four-channel independent measurement (visible light, two near-infrared, one short-wave infrared); achieves 20‒40 nm spectral resolution using a tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) CubeSat Aalto-1/ AASI Expanded the spectral band;optimized the resolution Explores the surface mineral composition of asteroids, characterizes asteroid volatiles and dust particles, and assists in determining their composition LICIACube/LEIA, LUKE Wide-field and narrow-field cameras respectively; panchromatic, color; resolution is 1.5‒5 m/pixel; field of views are 2.06° and 10° CubeSat general payload — Acquire images of the unimpacted side of the asteroid and videos of the dynamic evolution of ejecta respectively
Table 2. Comparison of optical payload technologies
View tableTable 2. Comparison of optical payload technologies
Payload Main function Performance Inheritance Innovation and shortcoming High-resolution camera Acquire physical characteristics such as asteroid shape and conduct plume monitoring and evaluation Resolution is 0.1 m@30 kmvideo/imaging modes Lunar exploration, Tianwen-1 high-resolution camera Equipped with a focusing mechanism to adapt to imaging at distances from 2 km to 30000 km, which increases weight and power consumption;video mode captures the dynamics of plume Multispectral camera Used for the study of surface topography and material properties 480‒1000 nm; number of spectral bands ≥8 Lunar exploration, Tianwen-1/2 spectral camera Differences in technical systems;
multispectral camera is implemented using filter wheels and have mechanical components
Visible-infrared spectrometer Acquire high-resolution spectral data of the visible to infrared bands on the asteroid surface 400‒1000 nm; number of spectral bands ≥256 Lunar exploration, Tianwen-1/2 multispectral Large number of spectral bands, requiring further lightweighting Thermal radiation spectrometer Detect the thermal radiation characteristics of the asteroid 5‒50 μm; temperature measurement accuracy is ±2 K Tianwen-2 thermal radiation spectrometer Multi-source data fusion improves the accuracy of thermal inertia retrieval
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Changning Huang, Yongfu Hu, Jianfu Wu, Yan Chen. Application of Space Optical Payloads in Near-Earth Asteroid Defense (Invited)[J]. Acta Optica Sinica, 2025, 45(18): 1828003
Paper Information
Category: Remote Sensing and Sensors
Received: Jul. 10, 2025
Accepted: Aug. 28, 2025
Published Online: Sep. 19, 2025
The Author Email: Changning Huang (2313080520@qq.com)
CSTR:32393.14.AOS251446
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