Biology
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p21e..01l&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P21E-01
Biology
[1027] Geochemistry / Composition Of The Planets, [5205] Planetary Sciences: Astrobiology / Formation Of Stars And Planets, [6000] Planetary Sciences: Comets And Small Bodies, [4343] Natural Hazards / Preparedness And Planning
Scientific paper
OSIRIS-REx will thoroughly characterize and return samples from near-Earth asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36. Asteroids are the direct remnants of the original building blocks of the terrestrial planets. Knowledge of their nature is fundamental to understanding planet formation and the origin of life. The return to Earth of pristine samples with known geologic context will enable precise analyses that cannot be duplicated by spacecraft-based instruments, revolutionizing our understanding of the early Solar System. Bodies from the outer main asteroid belt are believed to be the dominant source of primordial terrestrial organics and, possibly, water. The OSIRIS-REx team's exhaustive study of candidate asteroids that met mission planning and science objectives resulted in the selection of 1999 RQ36 as the most scientifically exciting target. 1999 RQ36 is the most accessible carbonaceous asteroid. It comes within 0.003 AU of the Earth and has the highest impact probability of any known asteroid. Its bulk properties have been well characterized by ground- and space-based telescopes, greatly reducing mission risk. Observations of 1999 RQ36 by team members using the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Arecibo Planetary Radar System strongly support the presence of abundant regolith, comprised of fine gravel (4-8 mm), ideal for sampling. Study of 1999 RQ36 addresses multiple NASA Solar System Exploration objectives to understand the origin of the Solar System and the origin of life, as well as fully addressing asteroid sample return objectives contained in the New Frontiers 2009 Announcement of Opportunity and the NRC report on "Opening New Frontiers in Space", released in 2008. In addition, OSIRIS-REx will provide a greater understanding of both the hazards and resources in near-Earth space, serving as a precursor to future asteroid missions. Launching in September 2016, OSIRIS-REx will return a minimum of 60 g of pristine bulk regolith and a separate surface sample of fine-grained material from 1999 RQ36. Prior to sample acquisition, OSIRIS-REx performs global mapping of the texture, mineralogy, and chemistry of 1999 RQ36, resolving geological features, revealing its geologic and dynamic history, and providing context for the returned samples and an identification of potential resources. The regolith at the sampling site is documented in situ at scales down to the sub-millimeter. OSIRIS-REx also studies the Yarkovsky effect, a non-Keplerian force affecting the orbit of this potentially hazardous asteroid, and provides the first ground truth for telescopic observations of carbonaceous asteroids.
Drake Michael J.
Lauretta Dante S.
OMEGA Team
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