Nasa’s Osiris-Rex (origin, spectral interpretation, source identification, security, regolith explorer) asteroid mission has completed its definitive practice game for its upcoming sampling maneuver.
The spacecraft is located 288m km from Earth, in orbit around the asteroid Bennu. On October 20, it is planned to drop the asteroid and recommend where the material from the surface will collect.
Asteroids are ancient celestial objects that date from the formation of the solar system. They can therefore reveal the conditions under which our planet formed.
On August 11, the spaceship Bennu approached a height of about 40 meters above the designated collection site, and then stepped back into its 1 km-high safe home orbit.
The rehearsal lasted more than four hours. The sequence had to be pre-programmed, as it takes 16 minutes for a signal to travel between Earth and the spacecraft, which prevents real-time operation.
During the rehearsal, the sampling arm, known as the sampling mechanism for disengaging the sample, disengaged and assumed its working configuration.
This was the team’s second test track. The next time the spaceship approaches Bennu will be the purchase visit. The collected samples will be thrown to Earth in a protective capsule on September 24, 2023.
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