article_snippet: an Arm robotic spacecraft will redirect an Arm robotic spacecraft to a stable orbit around the moon called a 'Distant Retrograde Orbit' - one that orbits the moon very widely, coming quite close before extending out much further away.
article_snippet: This will allow the crew aboard Orion to attach to the Arm robotic spacecraft and study a large asteroid using an inflatable system.
article_snippet: Various techniques for deflecting a potentially hazardous asteroid could be tested on Arm to enable planetary defense capabilities.
article_snippet: Various techniques for deflecting a potentially hazardous asteroid include Ion Beam Deflection, Enhanced Gravity Tractor, and kinetic impactors.
article_snippet: In Ion Beam Deflection, the plumes from the thrusters would be directed towards the asteroid to gently push on the thrusters surface over a wide area.
article_snippet: A thruster firing in the opposite direction would be needed to keep the Arm robotic spacecraft at a constant distance from a large asteroid using an inflatable system.
article_snippet: The Ion Beam Deflection approach is independent of the size of a large asteroid using an inflatable system, and The Ion Beam Deflection approach could be demonstrated on either mission option.
article_snippet: In the Enhanced Gravity Tractor approach, the Arm robotic spacecraft would first pick up a boulder from a large asteroid using an inflatable system's surface as in mission Option B. the Arm robotic spacecraft would then orbit in a circular halo around a large asteroid using an inflatable system's velocity vector.
article_snippet: The mass of the collected boulder coupled with the mass of the Arm robotic spacecraft would increase the gravitational attraction between the spacecraft and a large asteroid using an inflatable system.
article_snippet: By flying the Arm robotic spacecraft in close formation with a large asteroid using an inflatable system for several months the very small gravitational forces would produce a measurable change in a large asteroid using an inflatable system's trajectory.
article_snippet: A kinetic impactor could also be launched as a secondary payload with the Arm robotic spacecraft or on a separate launch vehicle, and A kinetic impactor would collide with a large asteroid using an inflatable system at high velocity while the Arm robotic spacecraft observed the impact.