It would take the probe minimum 8.5 years to reach a distance of 7 AU (1 AU = 150 million km).
The answer to this question depends on many factors, such as the probe's speed, the asteroid's mass, and the asteroid's size. Assuming that the probe is traveling at a speed of 10 km/s and that the asteroid's mass is 5x10^15 kg, the journey will take approximately 8.5 years.
However, this assumes a minimum energy direct trajectory, meaning that the probe would need to make a few course corrections to ensure it stays on the correct trajectory. This could cause the journey to take much longer than 8.5 years. Additionally, the size of the asteroid could impact the journey time, as a larger asteroid could cause the probe to need to make more course corrections.
In conclusion, the journey time for a space probe to travel to an asteroid with a radius of 7 AU using a minimum energy direct trajectory will depend on several factors. However, the journey time could be significantly increased if the probe requires more course corrections or if the asteroid is larger.
Learn more about the design of a particular space probe:
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