  This paper presents the results of a mission concept study for an autonomous
micro-scale surface lander also referred to as PANIC - the Pico Autonomous
Near-Earth Asteroid In Situ Characterizer. The lander is based on the shape of
a regular tetrahedron with an edge length of 35 cm, has a total mass of
approximately 12 kg and utilizes hopping as a locomotion mechanism in
microgravity. PANIC houses four scientific instruments in its proposed baseline
configuration which enable the in situ characterization of an asteroid. It is
carried by an interplanetary probe to its target and released to the surface
after rendezvous. Detailed estimates of all critical subsystem parameters were
derived to demonstrate the feasibility of this concept. The study illustrates
that a small, simple landing element is a viable alternative to complex
traditional lander concepts, adding a significant science return to any
near-Earth asteroid (NEA) mission while meeting tight mass budget constraints.
