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The OSIRIS-REx Radio Science Experiment at Bennu

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Abstract

The OSIRIS-REx mission will conduct a Radio Science investigation of the asteroid Bennu with a primary goal of estimating the mass and gravity field of the asteroid. The spacecraft will conduct proximity operations around Bennu for over 1 year, during which time radiometric tracking data, optical landmark tracking images, and altimetry data will be obtained that can be used to make these estimates. Most significantly, the main Radio Science experiment will be a 9-day arc of quiescent operations in a 1-km nominally circular terminator orbit. The pristine data from this arc will allow the Radio Science team to determine the significant components of the gravity field up to the fourth spherical harmonic degree. The Radio Science team will also be responsible for estimating the surface accelerations, surface slopes, constraints on the internal density distribution of Bennu, the rotational state of Bennu to confirm YORP estimates, and the ephemeris of Bennu that incorporates a detailed model of the Yarkovsky effect.

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Abbreviations

\(\Delta\)DOR:

Delta Differenced One-way Range

ACAF frame:

Asteroid Centered Asteroid Fixed frame

ACI frame:

Asteroid Centered Inertial frame

\(\hat{\mathbf{D}}\) :

radius vector from the Sun to Bennu

DRM:

Design Reference Mission

DSN:

Deep Space Network

\(\hat{\mathbf{F}}\) :

cross-product of \(\hat{\mathbf{D}}\) and \(\hat {\mathbf{H}}\) (the along-track)

\(\hat{\mathbf{H}}\) :

unit vector along Bennu’s heliocentric angular momentum vector

HGA:

high-gain antenna

LGA:

low-gain antenna

LIDAR:

light detection and ranging

NEA:

near-Earth asteroid

OLA:

OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter

SAR frame:

Sun-Asteroid-rotating frame

SRP:

solar radiation pressure

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Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Contract NNM10AA11C issued through the New Frontiers Program. D. Farnocchia and S.R. Chesley conducted this research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA. The authors would also like to thank D. Rowlands and E. Mazarico from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for their helpful comments and discussions on this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    J. W. McMahon

  2. Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    J. W. McMahon, D. J. Scheeres & S. G. Hesar

  3. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    D. Farnocchia & S. Chesley

  4. Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    D. Lauretta

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  1. J. W. McMahon
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  2. D. J. Scheeres
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  3. S. G. Hesar
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  4. D. Farnocchia
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  5. S. Chesley
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  6. D. Lauretta
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Correspondence to J. W. McMahon.

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McMahon, J.W., Scheeres, D.J., Hesar, S.G. et al. The OSIRIS-REx Radio Science Experiment at Bennu. Space Sci Rev 214, 43 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-018-0480-y

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