OSIRIS-Rex – Atlas V 411 (AV-067) – Canaveral SLC-41 – 08.09.2016 23:05 UTC

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190411benbenwest/

West View of Bennu's Largest Boulder

This image shows the west side of asteroid Bennu's largest boulder, which is located in the asteroid's southern hemisphere. It was taken by the PolyCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 11, from a distance of 3 miles (4.7 km). The field of view is 224 ft (68.3 m). For scale, the triangular striped rock near the center of the image is 30 ft (9.2 m), which is about the length of a school bus. The image was obtained during Flyby 6A of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the southern hemisphere, pointing PolyCam south and east.

Date Taken: April 11, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (PolyCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/?latest-news=nasas-osiris-rex-mission-breaks-another-orbit-record

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission Breaks Another Orbit Record

June 13, 2019 - On June 12, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft performed another significant navigation maneuver—breaking its own world record for the closest orbit of a planetary body by a spacecraft.


On Jun. 12, 2019, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft went into orbit around asteroid Bennu for a second time — breaking its own record for the closest orbit of a planetary body by any spacecraft.

The maneuver began the mission's new phase, known as Orbital B, and placed the spacecraft in an orbit 680 meters (2,231 feet) above the surface of asteroid Bennu. The previous record—also set by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft—was approximately 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) above the surface.

Upon arrival at Bennu, the team observed particles ejecting into space from the asteroid's surface. To better understand why this is occurring, the first two weeks of Orbital B will be devoted to observing these events by taking frequent images of the asteroid's horizon. For the remaining five weeks, the spacecraft will map the entire asteroid using most of its onboard science instruments: the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) will produce a full terrain map; PolyCam will form a high-resolution, global image mosaic; and the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) and the REgolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) will produce global maps in the infrared and X-ray bands. All of these measurements are essential for selecting the best sample collection site on Bennu's surface.

OSIRIS-REx will remain in Orbital B until the second week of August, when it will transition to the slightly higher Orbital C for additional particle observations. During Orbital C, the spacecraft will be approximately 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) above the asteroid's surface.

The OSIRIS-REx team will also use data collected from Orbital B phase to assess the safety and sample-ability (the likelihood that a sample can be collected) of each potential sample collection site. The team will then choose four possible sample sites to be thoroughly evaluated this fall during the Reconnaissance phase of the mission. Data from the Reconnaissance phase will be used to evaluate the candidate sites for further down-selection, as well as provide the closeup imaging required to map the features and landmarks necessary for the spacecraft's autonomous navigation to the asteroid's surface.


On June 12, 2019, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft entered its second orbital phase around asteroid Bennu, called Orbital B, and broke its own world record for the closest orbit of a planetary body. The spacecraft moved into a circular orbit 0.4 miles (680 meters) above Bennu's surface. The previous record was set by OSIRIS-REx on Dec. 31, 2018, when the spacecraft flew 0.8 miles (1.33 km) above the asteroid's surface during Orbital A phase.

Several safety requirements must be considered before sample collection. For instance, any candidate site must be clear enough of large rocks or boulders so that the spacecraft can navigate to the surface without encountering dangerous terrain. Additionally, to keep OSIRIS-REx upright during sample collection, the chosen site can't be tilted too much compared to the sampling arm. Bennu's unexpectedly rocky surface has made it more challenging than originally predicted to identify sites that meet both of these safety requirements. In response, the team is evaluating both spacecraft and navigation performance capabilities, which will likely enable greater precision guidance to target more confined sites.

Спойлер

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is on a seven-year journey to study the asteroid Bennu and return a sample from its surface to Earth. This sample of a primitive asteroid will help scientists understand the formation of the Solar System over 4.5 billion years ago. Sample collection is scheduled for summer of 2020, and the spacecraft will deliver the sample to Earth in September 2023.

NASA Goddard provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator, and the University of Arizona leads the science team and the mission's science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the spacecraft and is providing flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace are responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program, which is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

NASA's OSIRIS-REx‏Подлинная учетная запись @OSIRISREx 1 ч. назад

"So, OSIRIS-REx," you may ask, "can you show me how your current altitude over Bennu relates to the altitudes of other familiar objects over ground level?" #ORExNav

[tnt22]

NASA's OSIRIS-REx‏Подлинная учетная запись @OSIRISREx 16 мин. назад

I'm only 3,051 ft (930 meters) away from Bennu's center of mass. The view just keeps getting better. Also, gonna leave this right here:

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190613-orbital-b-insertion/

Bennu after Orbital B Insertion

This image of asteroid Bennu was captured on Jun. 13, 2019, shortly after NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft executed its second orbital insertion maneuver. From the spacecraft's vantage point in orbit, half of Bennu is sunlit and half is in shadow. Bennu's largest boulder can also be seen protruding from the southern hemisphere. The image was taken from a distance of 0.4 miles (690 m) above the asteroid's surface by NavCam 1, one of three navigation cameras that comprise the spacecraft's TAGCAMS (the Touch-and-Go Camera System) suite. At this distance, details as small as 1.6 ft (0.5 m) across can be resolved in the center of the image.

This second orbital phase, called Orbital B, broke the record for the closest distance a spacecraft has orbited a body in the Solar System. The spacecraft is now in a bound, circular orbit 0.4 miles (680 m) from the asteroid's surface.

TAGCAMS was designed, built and tested by Malin Space Science Systems; Lockheed Martin integrated TAGCAMS to the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and operates TAGCAMS.

Date Taken: June 13, 2019

Instrument Used: TAGCAMS (NavCam 1)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Lockheed Martin

[tnt22]

NASA's OSIRIS-REx‏Подлинная учетная запись @OSIRISREx 18 мин. назад

For more technical details on the new orbit, check out this week's Mission Status Update:

https://bit.ly/2Xk0BCr 

https://www.asteroidmission.org/?mission_update=jun-17-2019

Jun 17, 2019

OSIRIS-REx has successfully completed its Detailed Survey phase and transitioned into a new record-setting orbit around Bennu!

Last week the OSIRIS-REx navigation team performed three maneuvers using the spacecraft's attitude control thrusters to place the spacecraft into orbit around Bennu for the second time. The first two maneuvers, on June 8 and 10, were staging burns that moved the spacecraft into position for the third burn on June 12, which ultimately placed OSIRIS-REx into orbit. These maneuvers imparted a velocity change (delta-v) of 8, 6, and 7 cm/sec, respectively. Throughout the Orbital B phase, slow changes in the spacecraft's orbit will require correction maneuvers approximately every three weeks. The spacecraft's circular orbit period around Bennu is 22 hours, with a velocity of 7 centimeters per second, which allows for the mission's science measurements to be observed from a uniform altitude.

June 12 marked the beginning of the mission's Orbital B phase, and the spacecraft began its new orbit approximately 680 meters above Bennu's surface. This orbit breaks the record that OSIRIS-REx set during its Orbital A phase for the closest a spacecraft has ever orbited a small planetary body, which was as close as 1.3 km above the asteroid's surface. The first two weeks of Orbital B will focus on investigating the causes of Bennu's particle ejection events by taking frequent images of the asteroid's horizon. The remaining five weeks of Orbital B will focus on mapping the asteroid from a close range.

With the conclusion of the Detailed Survey: Equatorial Stations phase on June 7, the team completed the mission's main global survey effort. Here are the highlights from both Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond and Detailed Survey: Equatorial Stations phases (Feb 22 – Jun 7):

[/li]
• 14 Flyovers
• 18 Observation Stations
• 2,616 NavCam Images
• 19,660 OCAMS Images
• 2,286 OTES Data Acquisitions
• 179 OVIRS Science Acquisitions
• 19 OLA Scans
• 333,591 Total Spacecraft and Payload Commands
  

[tnt22]

NASA's OSIRIS-REx‏Подлинная учетная запись @OSIRISREx 20 мин. назад

Starting today I'll be sharing images from Flyby 6B! Because the spacecraft captured these images from a northern vantage point looking down at Bennu the shadows come from below. So, the images from this phase will be posted upside down. They're more pleasant to look at. Trust me

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190412-equatorial-ridgeline-boulders/

Boulders on Bennu's Equatorial Ridge

This image shows several large boulders positioned on asteroid Bennu's equatorial ridge. The image was taken by the PolyCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 12, from a distance of 1.7 miles (2.8 km). The field of view is 132 ft (40.3 m). For scale, the largest boulder on the horizon is over 17 ft (40.3 m) tall, which is about the height of a two-story house. The image was obtained during Flyby 6B of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing PolyCam south and to the west.

Date Taken: April 12, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (PolyCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190412-northern-crater/

Northern Crater

This image shows a small crater and a few boulders in a region near asteroid Bennu's north pole. The image was taken by the PolyCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 12, from a distance of 1.7 miles (2.8 km). The field of view is 130 ft (39.6 m). For scale, the crater is 50 ft (15.3 m) wide, which is the width of a basketball court. The image was obtained during Flyby 6B of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing PolyCam farther north and to the west.

Date Taken: April 12, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (PolyCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190412gradient/

Rocky Region Near Bennu's Equator

This image shows a rocky, boulder-filled region located just north of asteroid Bennu's equator. The image was taken by the PolyCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 12, from a distance of 2.8 miles (4.5 km). The field of view is 130 ft (39.5 m). For scale, the long, slender boulder in the right of the image is 34 ft (10.3 m) long, which is about the length of a city bus. The image was obtained during Flyby 6B of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing PolyCam south and to the west.

Date Taken: April 12, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (PolyCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

NASA's OSIRIS-REx‏Подлинная учетная запись @OSIRISREx 11 мин. назад

P.S. image is oriented Bennu south up.

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190412-northern-long-shadows/

Long Shadows in the North

This image shows the long shadows of Bennu's far northern region. The image was taken by the PolyCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 12, from a distance of 1.7 miles (2.8 km). The field of view is 132 ft (40.2 m). For scale, the small rock sitting in the middle of the larger boulder on the right is 5.6 ft (1.7 m) long, which is the size of a person. The image was obtained during Flyby 6B of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing PolyCam far north and west.

Date Taken: April 12, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (PolyCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

https://twitter.com/OSIRISREx/status/1142132656156499968

this image is oriented Bennu south up

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190412flow/

Boulders in Bennu's North

This image shows a flow of boulders and rocks located in asteroid Bennu's northern hemisphere. The image was taken by the PolyCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 12, from a distance of 1.7 miles (2.8 km). The field of view is 130 ft (39.5 m). For scale, the small, shiny rock in the lower right of the image is 5 ft (1.5 m) wide, which is the length of a bicycle. The image was obtained during Flyby 6B of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing PolyCam north and west.

Date Taken: April 12, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (PolyCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

NASA's OSIRIS-REx‏Подлинная учетная запись @OSIRISREx 3 ч. назад

Starting today I'll be sharing images from Flyby 7A, which is the second flyby to use MapCam. MapCam is a wide-angle imager, resulting in panoramic views of Bennu. These images provide context for Bennu's topography, and you can see craters better!




3 ч. назад

Flyby 7A is also a northern flyby, so I'll be sure to tell you when the images are oriented Bennu south up.

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190418-dark-boulder-and-craters/

Dark Boulder and Craters in Bennu's North

his image shows a region of Bennu's northern hemisphere. The frame spans from near the asteroid's north pole (left), down toward its equatorial bulge (right). Visible in the image are Bennu's darkest boulder (lower right) and two craters that may contain sampleable material (upper left and lower middle). The image was taken by the MapCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 18, from a distance of 2.3 miles (3.7 km). The field of view is 739 ft (225.2 m). For scale, the southern crater is 68 ft (20.6 m) wide, which is about the width of eight parking spaces. The image was obtained during Flyby 7A of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing MapCam south and to the east.

Date Taken: April 18, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (MapCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190418heartrock/

View of Bennu's North and Equator

This image gives a partial view of Bennu's northern hemisphere and equatorial region. The image was taken by the MapCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 18, from a distance of 2.2 miles (3.5 km). The field of view is 818 ft (249.2 m). For scale, the small rock situated on the large, flat boulder near the center of the image is 8 ft (2.5 m) wide, which is about the same length as a horse. The image was obtained during Flyby 7A of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing MapCam south and to the west.

Date Taken: April 18, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (MapCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

https://twitter.com/OSIRISREx/status/1144677636381134849

image is oriented Bennu south up

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190418-northern-craters/

Northern Craters

This image shows a region near asteroid Bennu's north pole. Two craters that may contain sampleable material (center and center right) are visible. The image was taken by the MapCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 18, from a distance of 2 miles (3.6 km). The field of view is 830 ft (253 m). For scale, the central crater is 56 ft (17 m) across, which is about the length of a boxcar. The image was obtained during Flyby 7A of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing MapCam north and slightly east.

Date Taken: April 18, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (MapCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190418boulderpit/

Boulder Cluster and Crater in Northern Hemisphere

This image shows a partial view of asteroid Bennu's northern hemisphere and equatorial region. Visible in the center right of the image is a crater that may contain sampleable material. The image was taken by the MapCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 18, from a distance of 2.1 miles (3.4 km). The field of view is 787 ft (240 m). For scale, the pointed rock sitting on the boulder near the center of the image is 24 ft (7.3 m) long, which is about the length of a dump truck. The image was obtained during Flyby 7A of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing MapCam slightly north.

Date Taken: April 18, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (MapCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190418dl06gargoyle/

Crater and Bennu's Darkest Boulder

This image shows a region in asteroid Bennu's northern hemisphere. The frame spans from near the north pole down to the equator. Visible in the image are Bennu's darkest boulder (lower left near the horizon) and a crater containing a large, light-colored boulder, which also may contain sampleable material (adjacent to the darkest boulder). The image was taken by the MapCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 18, from a distance of 2.3 miles (3.7 km). The field of view is 854 ft (260.3 m). For scale, the southern crater is 68 ft (20.6 m) wide, which is about the width of eight parking spaces. The image was obtained during Flyby 7A of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the northern hemisphere, pointing MapCam south and to the west.

Date Taken: April 18, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (MapCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190419benbenandcrocodile/

Overhead View of Bennu's Largest Boulder

This image provides an overhead view of Bennu's largest boulder, Boulder No. 1. The image was taken by the MapCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 19, from a distance of 2.2 miles (3.6 km). For scale, the largest boulder is 190 ft (58 m) wide, which is about the width of a soccer field. The image was obtained during Flyby 7B of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the southern hemisphere, pointing MapCam south.

Date Taken: April 19, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (MapCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

[tnt22]

https://www.asteroidmission.org/20190419southerncraterandprimemeridianboulder/

Prime Meridian Boulder and Crater in Bennu's South

This image shows a portion of Bennu's southern hemisphere. Visible in the image are Bennu's prime meridian boulder (right) and a crater that may contain sampleable material (center). The image was taken by the MapCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 19, from a distance of 2.2 miles (3.5 km). The field of view is 814 ft (248 m). For scale, the square rock on the crater's upper left edge is 20 ft (6.0 m) long, which is about the length of a 15-passenger van. The image was obtained during Flyby 7B of the mission's Detailed Survey: Baseball Diamond phase. When the image was taken, the spacecraft was over the southern hemisphere, pointing MapCam south and to the east.

Date Taken: April 19, 2019

Instrument Used: OCAMS (MapCam)

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona