Project Description:
The In-Situ Exploration of a Comet Tetrad (INSECT) mission aims to intercept and analyze an Oort Cloud comet using a fleet of four specialized spacecraft—Cricket, Hornet, Honeybee, and Butterfly—collectively referred to as INSECTs. These vehicles are engineered to fulfill key scientific objectives outlined in the 2023 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, including characterizing comet morphology, analyzing surface and coma compositions, measuring dust and plasma environments, and observing solar interactions. The mission supports deep-space operations from an Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 2 (L2) loitering orbit, as the spacecraft integrate advanced navigation, imaging, propulsion, and communication systems. Notably, Hornet executes a high-speed impact to excavate subsurface material, while other INSECTs perform flybys, imaging the comet and sampling the dust/ejecta. Through a combination of autonomy, precision guidance, and comprehensive systems integration, this mission not only seeks to reveal the secrets of the early solar system but also contributes to planetary defense initiatives by expanding our knowledge of potentially hazardous bodies.
