The journey to launch a space mission is often fraught with challenges, and the Oversize Kite-craft for Exploration and AstroNautics in the Outer Solar system (OKEANOS) project, initially proposed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), exemplifies this struggle. Although the mission did not secure funding for full implementation, its innovative concepts have influenced other ongoing projects.
OKEANOS aimed to extend JAXA's achievements in sample return missions, notably the successful Hayabusa-2, which delivered samples from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu in 2020. The mission's significance lies in its potential to explore Jupiter Trojan asteroids, believed to provide insights into the early solar system due to their origins in the Kuiper belt.
NASA's Lucy mission, launched in 2021, is set to perform remote observations of these asteroids but lacks the capability to return samples. In contrast, OKEANOS was designed to collect and return samples, utilizing a unique combination of solar sail technology and ion propulsion. This solar power sail would harness solar energy while facilitating propulsion, building on JAXA's previous success with the IKAROS mission.
At its destination, OKEANOS would deploy a lander to collect samples, a feat never before attempted at the Trojan asteroids. This innovative approach presents challenges, such as communication delays, complicating mission operations. Despite the project's cancellation due to funding constraints, JAXA's commitment to advancing asteroid exploration technology remains evident, with hopes that elements of OKEANOS will inform future sample return missions.
As interest in asteroid resources and the origins of our solar system grows, the legacy of OKEANOS may pave the way for future missions aimed at unlocking the secrets of these celestial bodies.