Nov 25, 2019

This week, OSIRIS-REx continued Orbital R phase operations. On board the spacecraft, MapCam, OTES, OVIRS, and REXIS completed scheduled science activities. NavCam 1 also collected images for particle monitoring.

Nov. 25 concluded REXIS operations for the remainder of the mission. The X-ray spectrometer was proposed, built and managed by university students, and is designed to measure Bennu’s X-ray fluorescence. The REXIS team will now seek to understand the asteroid’s elemental composition.

The OSIRIS-REx team continues to prepare for selecting the final primary and backup sample collection sites. An official announcement of the site is expected in December.

The fourth Operational Proficiency Integrated Exercise also took place this week at Lockheed Martin. The purpose of this exercise is to prepare the team for Touch-and-Go (TAG) rehearsals, which are scheduled to begin next spring.