Идальго: Европейская миссия к астероидам

Space probe concept that has been studied by the Advanced Concepts Team of the European Space Agency

The mission would have consisted of two spacecraft that would execute a series of maneuvers around a small, 500 metre (1,600 foot) asteroid.

The craft would have been launched by a Vega launcher and a Star 48 upper stage. The ESA considered two design options: the "Cheap Option" using a chemical propulsion system, and the "Flexible Option" using an electric propulsion system. The former would have been targeted to the Amor asteroid 2003 SM84, the latter to the asteroid 99942 Apophis.

Unlike many other spacecraft, the goal of the Hidalgo impactor was to be as massive as possible upon reaching the target asteroid; because of this goal, the propulsion module would not have been jettisoned after use. The impactor was to carry few subsystems to make it as low cost and maneuverable as possible. It would have had no moving appendages (solar panels, etc.) to complicate orientation, using only its RCS thrusters for course corrections, and it was to have a high resolution targeting camera for ~50 m targeting accuracy on impact. The LISA Pathfinder design was considered an initial design reference. The current target for AIDA is the binary asteroid 65803 Didymos.

The mission was named after the fictional Spanish knight from Miguel de Cervantes' renowned novel, Don Quixote, who charged against a windmill, thinking it to be a giant. Like Quixote, the Hidalgo spacecraft was to 'attack' an object much larger than itself, hopefully making impressive results. 'Sancho' was named after Sancho Panza, the Quixote's squire, who preferred to stay back and watch from a safe distance, which was the role assigned to that probe. Finally, the name Hidalgo was a minor Spanish title (roughly equivalent to a Baronet), now obsolete. In the novel, it was the title Alonso Quijano had even before becoming Don Quijote.