A new white paper submitted to the UK Space Agency proposes a novel concept called REMORA: an autonomous fleet of small spacecraft designed to tag and track near-Earth asteroids. The proposal, which targets the UK's 2035 Space Frontiers program, aims to improve our understanding of asteroid composition and behavior through direct proximity operations.
According to the white paper, REMORA would consist of multiple small satellites that could be deployed to rendezvous with asteroids, attach tracking tags, and monitor their trajectories over time. This would provide more precise data than ground-based or orbital telescopes, which are limited in their ability to characterize asteroid surfaces and internal structures.
The concept is named after the remora fish, which attaches to larger marine animals. Similarly, the REMORA spacecraft would attach to asteroids to collect data on their composition, rotation, and orbit. The UK Space Agency has not yet confirmed funding or a timeline for the mission, but the white paper outlines a potential launch in the mid-2030s.
If realized, REMORA could contribute to planetary defense by improving asteroid tracking capabilities, as well as support scientific research into the origins of the solar system. The proposal is part of a broader UK effort to expand its role in space exploration and asteroid science.
