OSIRIS-REx Flies by Earth, Fine-Tunes Instruments for Bennu Mission
Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/UA
On September 22, 2017, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft completed an Earth gravity assist, slingshotting itself on the path toward Bennu. OSIRIS-REx’s launch provided the spacecraft with momentum to get to Bennu, however, the spacecraft needed extra momentum from Earth’s gravity to change its orbital plane. The spacecraft came within 10,711 miles of the Earth, giving the team the chance to test and calibrate the instruments onboard. The Optical Navigation team also used this opportunity to test the Optical Navigation processes using real data in anticipation of proximity operations at asteroid Bennu.
