NASA Funds 'Interworld Slingshot' Concept to Map Solar System Resources

• NASA is funding the "Interworld Slingshot" mission concept, a new approach to identify solar system resources for In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU).
• The proposal aims to replace expensive, single-destination probes with a small, agile spacecraft that performs long-distance compositional mapping of multiple sites.

Technological Core: Long-Distance Raman Spectroscopy

• The mission utilizes Raman spectroscopy, which identifies minerals by measuring energy shifts in laser light reflected off materials.
• While current rovers like Perseverance require close proximity, Dr. Pablo Sobron Sanchez’s team proposes scaling this technology to operate from 30–50 km away while moving at high speeds.

Mission Architecture and Objectives

• The project envisions a 300-kg, refrigerator-sized spacecraft powered by solar panels and Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP).
• The mission follows a three-part tour of the solar system using gravity-assist "slingshots":
  • Moon: Mapping water ice and ilmenite for oxygen and fuel production.
  • Near-Earth Asteroids: Searching for silicates, metals, and organics like methane for potential space mining.
  • Martian Moons (Phobos or Deimos): Identifying volatiles to establish future orbital gas stations.

Engineering Challenges

• The primary technical hurdles involve overcoming signal blurring at interplanetary speeds and extreme distances.
• Success depends on developing advanced signal processing and hardware stabilization techniques to isolate molecular fingerprints from tens of kilometers away.