NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security – Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) and its instruments remain healthy and the spacecraft is on track for its two-year journey to the asteroid Bennu.
On Monday, September 19, 2016, OSIRIS-REx’s OCAMS MapCam camera recorded a star field in Taurus, north of the constellation Orion as part of the spacecraft’s post-launch instrument check. MapCam’s first color image is a composite of three of its four color filters, roughly corresponding to blue, green, and red wavelengths. The three images are processed to remove noise, co-registered, and enhanced to emphasize dimmer stars. Image credit: NASA / Goddard / University of Arizona.
OSIRIS-REx, successfully launched on September 8, 2016, is designed to rendezvous with, study, and return a sample of Bennu to Earth.
This sample will help scientists understand the formation of the Solar System more than 4.5 billion years ago.
Last week OSIRIS-REx ran the first check of its onboard instruments.
The spacecraft was more than two million miles from Earth, traveling at about 12,300 mph (19,800 km per hour) relative to our planet.
Starting on Monday, September 19, engineers controlling the spacecraft conducted checkouts of its five science instruments (OCAMS, OLA, OVIRS, REXIS and OTES) and one of its navigational instruments (TAGCAMS).
On Monday, the OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite (OCAMS) executed its power-on and test sequence with no issues. The cameras recorded a star field in Taurus, north of the constellation Orion, along with Betelgeuse, Orion’s bright red star. The three OCAMS cameras performed flawlessly during the test.
On Monday and Wednesday, the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) conducted its test sequences, which included a firing of its laser. All telemetry received from the OLA instrument was as expected.
On Tuesday, both the OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) and the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emissions Spectrometer (OTES) were separately powered on for tests. Data from both during the checkout showed that the instruments were healthy. The measurements acquired from OTES exceeded the instrument’s performance requirements.
On Wednesday, the Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) executed its functional test with no problems.
And on Thursday, the Touch and Go Camera System (TAGCAMS) navigational camera was powered on and tested, and it operated as expected. As part of its checkout, TAGCAMS took an image of the spacecraft’s Sample Return Capsule.
