OSIRIS-APEX, follow-on mission to Apophis Options

[nprev]

After today's successful Bennu sample delivery, OSIRIS is off on a new adventure with a new name.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/2023/09/2...or-new-mission/

[Explorer1]

An update last week regarding the first close approach to the sun. There's an animation of the trajectory; it looks like in just a few months (February 2024) the spacecraft will be in the vicinity of Apophis already (8 seconds in), though the inclination difference is of course invisible. Checking with Eyes on the Solar System shows a large separation even at what I visually see as closest approach around February 23-25 or so. I wonder if the OCAMS would be able to detect it anyway...

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[jasedm]

Really excited about this mission - it's a triumph of re-purposing a perfectly functional spacecraft for other duties.

As I understand it, there are some significant uncertainties as to exactly where Apophis may be after closest approach to Earth, I guess there's enough fuel on board to account for these?

[stevesliva]

Really excited about this mission - it's a triumph of re-purposing a perfectly functional spacecraft for other duties.

As I understand it, there are some significant uncertainties as to exactly where Apophis may be after closest approach to Earth, I guess there's enough fuel on board to account for these?

Can't be that uncertain given the error bars for subsequent close approaches to Earth?

In any event, Osiris is chasing Apophis as it flies by Earth, AFAICT, so right after Apophis chooses a course, Osiris sets one... both in Earth's gravity well. It's not a deep space rendezvous where the TCM at earth has to set them both on a path to rendezvous months later for a flyby on orthogonal paths or any such thing.

[Explorer1]

A few new details in this article, confirming they will use the thrusters to stir up loose material to see how it interacts, comparing it with Bennu (though for Bennu they also used the nitrogen gas, unclear what will be done with the unused portion).

I also answered my own question from the December 6th post: When Apophis 'laps' the spacecraft in its orbit this coming February 23rd, they will still be 9.9 million km apart).

[Explorer1]

First perihelion was passed successfully.

An informative interview with the deputy project scientist by Planetary Radio.