Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
OSIRIS-REx will return pristine samples of carbonaceous asteroid Bennu. This articledescribes how pristine was defined based on expectations of Bennu and on a realisticunderstanding of what is achievable with a constrained schedule and budget, and how thatdefinition flowed to requirements and implementation. To return a pristine sample, the OSIRISRExspacecraft sampling hardware was maintained at level 100 A/2 and 〈180 ng/cm2 of aminoacids and hydrazine on the sampler head through precision cleaning, control of materials, andvigilance. Contamination is further characterized via witness material exposed to the spacecraftassembly and testing environment as well as in space. This characterization provided knowledgeof the expected background and will be used in conjunction with archived spacecraft componentsfor comparison with the samples when they are delivered to Earth for analysis. Most of all, thecleanliness of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was achieved through communication amongscientists, engineers, managers, and technicians.
Keywords:
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration
Type:
JSC-E-DAA-TN56155
,
Space Science Reviews (ISSN 0038-6308) (e-ISSN 1572-9672); 214; 1; 19
Format:
application/pdf
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