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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which is preparing to collect a sample of the asteroid Bennu, has successfully completed a partial dress test for its historic journey to the asteroid’s surface.
OSIRIS-REx, which has been orbiting Bennu since 2018, is slated to attempt to descend to the surface to retrieve a sample from the asteroid within four months and bring that sample to Earth in 2023. On Tuesday (April 14), during What NASA calls a “checkpoint test,” OSIRIS-REx approached Bennu’s surface like never before while practicing the sample collection process.
“This trial allowed us to verify the performance of the flight system during descent, particularly the autonomous upgrade and execution of the Checkpoint burn,” said Rich Burns, OSIRIS-REx project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. in Maryland, in a statement. statement.
Video: OSIRIS-REx gets very close to asteroid Bennu in trial
Related: How NASA’s Asteroid Sample Return Mission Will Work (Infographic)
In its first practice, OSIRIS-REx performed two of the four maneuvers it would perform during a real asteroid sampling attempt: the orbit exit burn and the “checkpoint” burn.
First, the spacecraft fired its engines to leave its 0.6-mile (1-kilometer) orbit around Bennu and descend closer to the surface of the space rock. Approximately four hours later, when OSIRIS-REx was at an altitude of approximately 410 feet (125 meters), it carried out the burning of the checkpoint, which sent the spacecraft on a path to the location of its third maneuver, called the burn “starting point”. But instead of proceeding to that third step, the ship backed off after a nine-minute descent. It reached an altitude of only 246 feet (75 m), its closest approach so far, before returning to orbit.
OSIRIS-REx not only successfully performed these two test maneuvers, but also practiced deploying its sampling arm, known as the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism, or TAGSAM. The spacecraft’s cameras and sensors also took advantage of the close focus to collect data at the sampling site, which NASA recently named Nightingale. NASA plans to make its first sampling attempt at the Nightingale site on August 25, and the spacecraft is slated to begin its 2.5-year journey back to Earth in March 2021.
It’s worth noting that mission controllers were able to run Tuesday’s test without a hitch despite the fact that most NASA employees, along with much of the rest of the world, were ordered to work from home. due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The mission team has maximized remote work during the past month of preparations for the Checkpoint trial, as part of the COVID-19 response,” NASA officials said in the statement. “On the day of the trial, a limited number of personnel monitored the spacecraft’s telemetry from the facilities of Lockheed Martin Space, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and the University of Arizona, taking appropriate safety precautions, while the rest of the team performed their duties remotely. “
“Executing this monumental milestone during this time of national crisis is a testament to the professionalism and focus of our team,” added Burns. “It says a lot about his ‘being able to do’ attitude and hopefully it will serve as good news in these difficult times.”
Email Hanneke Weitering at [email protected] or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and in Facebook.
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