NASA's OSIRIS REx spacecraft one rehearsal away from asteroid-sampling

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx craft is all set for its final rehearsal before landing on surface of asteroid Bennu in a bid to grab a sample from surface of rock. According to US ncy, OSIRIS-REx is first asteroid sampling craft and it has been orbiting around Bennu since 2018. NASA informed that craft will practice its touchdown sequence on August 11. 

According to NASA, OSIRIS-REx will rehearse touch-and-fro sample collection event and will also d a third maeuvre, called ‘Matchpoint burn’. craft will even fly closer to sample site Nightingale before backing away from asteroid. US ncy informed that OSIRIS-REx will fly in tandem with Bennu’s rotation for first time. 

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upcoming rehearsal is expected to give mission scientists ar opportunity to practice navigating craft through descent maeuvres. Furr, it will also help scientists in kwing more about craft’s imaging, navigation, and ranging systems. 

NASA said, "Prior to rehearsal’s start, OSIRIS-REx team will uplink all of event’s commands to craft, allowing OSIRIS-REx to perform rehearsal sequence automously after GO command is given”. 

y furr ded, “ OSIRIS-REx team will verify flight system’s performance during descent, including that Matchpoint burn accurately justed craft’s descent trajectory for its touchdown on Bennu. Once mission team determines that OSIRIS-REx operated as expected, y will command craft to return to its safe-home orbit around Bennu”. 

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Sample scheduled to return in 2023

US ncy anunced that during rehearsal, craft will perform several different activities. OSIRIS-REx will travel at an aver speed of 0.2 mph and will fire its thrusters three separate times during its descent to surface of asteroid. Furrmore, NASA said that on day of rehearsal, a limited number of researchers will monitor craft from Lockheed Martin ’s facility. 

OSIRIS-REx will travel all way to asteroid’s surface on October 20. NASA informed that during event, OSIRIS-REx’s sampling mechanism will touch Bennu’s surface for approximately five seconds, fire a charge of pressurised nitrogen to disturb surface, and collect a sample before craft backs away. craft is scheduled to return sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023.

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