MASCOT asteroid lander
MASCOT asteroid lander
To explain the "missing link" in the formation of the solar system up to the development of life on Earth, asteroid missions are of great importance. In this context, MASCOT, a landing unit about the size of a shoebox and weighing 10kg, was developed at DLR in collaboration with the Japanese (JAXA) and French (CNES) space agencies.
On 3 December 2014, it was launched on board JAXA's Hayabusa-2 probe to the C-class asteroid 1999 JU3. Once there, MASCOT will support the Japanese mother ship in selecting its landing site (for soil sampling). In order to cope with the very high mechanical loads during launch and the inclined installation position on the mother ship, MASCOT is divided into an external mechanical support structure and the landing module itself. The latter is a very rigid and high-strength truss structure in sandwich construction. The two extremely compact lightweight structures, developed and built at the DLR Institute of Lightweight Structures, together weigh just 1.4 kg.
