NASA's OSIRIS-Rex viewed before encapsulation

NASA's OSIRIS-Rex was viewed by the media for the last time before encapsulation yesterday on August 20th. Members of the media entered the cleanroom where the Spacecraft sat on display with the Atlas V 4 meter fairing sitting nearby. The launch is set for September 8th aboard an Atlas V in its 411 configuration with one strap-on Solid Rocket Booster. During the media event, principal investigator Dante Laurette who has been working on the project for 12 years, helped to fill us in with the mission guidelines and goals. "Once the OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft gets to Bennu, we'll basically be flying in formation with the asteroid.". The spacecraft will use the combination of four reaction wheels for orientation and sixteen small thrusters across it to keep its science instruments pointed at the asteroid. There are also star trackers on the spacecraft to help guide it through space using the stars. This is also the first spacecraft to launch with the sixteen low-thrust engines. Another feature of OSIRIS-Rex is the solar panels are on gimbals and have sensors to track the sun and keep the panels pointed at it. "We'll go from flybys into orbit and in orbit we and do characterization from points of interest," said Dante while explaining the timeline of the mission at the asteroid. For this mission, the required sample from the asteroid is 60g (2oz) of material. The spacecraft will do several low-altitude flybys of the asteroid until it's point of interest is chosen and is set to retrieve a sample. The arm on the spacecraft will extend and grab the required sample in 5 seconds of contact,

then put it in a detachable capsule that has a heat shield on it. The spacecraft will then leave the asteroid and mark its way back to Earth. Once to Earth it will decouple the capsule and have it spun up, "Like throwing a football," Dante explained. It will hit the atmosphere at 27,000mph and will gradually decrease as it descends. This reentry will have the fastest reentry speeds by NASA. The capsule will slow down to subsonic speeds and deploy the drogue, then the main parachutes for a landing at the Utah Test Training Range on September 24th, 2023.