Spacecraft orbit lifetime within two binary near-Earth asteroid systems

We studied the motion of medium-sized and small spacecraft orbiting within the binary asteroid systems 175,706 (1996 FG3) and 65,803 Didymos (1996 GT). We have considered spacecraft motion within the binary systems distance regimes between 0.4 and 2.5 km for Didymos and 0.8–4 km for 1996 FG3. Orbital motion of spacecraft, beginning from 20,000 initial conditions lying in the orbital planes of the secondary, were simulated and evaluated for lifespan.