Mar 30, 2020

This week, OSIRIS-REx continued Reconnaissance C phase operations. On Mar. 26, the spacecraft conducted a Sample Mass Measurement (SMM) bake-out activity. During this exercise, the spacecraft fired its ACS thrusters to perform a spin maneuver. This exercise was designed to expose all sides of the Sample Return Capsule’s (SRC) protective covering to the sun to rid it of any built-up moisture.

The spacecraft also reached perihelion this week, and is currently 0.9 AU from the sun. The spacecraft has traveled over 3 billion kilometers since launch. One-way light time from Earth is approximately 13 minutes.