Nov 12, 2018

On Nov. 5, the spacecraft successfully executed a trim maneuver (AAM-3a) to re-target conditions for the AAM-4 maneuver scheduled for Nov. 12. It also realigned the spacecraft’s trajectory with the precise approach corridor needed for the PolyCam shape model imaging planned over the next several weeks. The 6 cm/s maneuver was only the second burn utilizing the spacecraft’s Attitude Control System (ACS) thrusters, which are capable of velocity changes as small as 1 cm/s.

On Nov. 7, the Mission Planning Board evaluated the mission’s readiness to proceed from Approach Phase into Preliminary Survey Phase and determined that OSIRIS-REx is a GO. Barring any anomalies on the flight system or any unforeseen Bennu surprises, the spacecraft will “arrive” at Bennu on Dec. 3 and begin Preliminary Survey’s hyperbolic flyovers of the poles and equator.

The science payload also executed the following observations in the past week: OCAMS MapCam Daily Phase Function, OTES Full Disk Integrated Spectroscopy, OVIRS Full Disk Integrated Spectroscopy, OVIRS Solar Calibration, OCAMS PolyCam Natural Satellite Search, OCAMS MapCam Natural Satellite Search, and TAGCAMS Natural Satellite Search ride-along with OpNavs.