OSIRIS REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission

The objectives of the mission are to 1) Return and analyze a sample of pristine carbonaceous asteroid regolith in an amount sufficient to study the nature, history, and distribution of its constituent minerals and organic material; 2) Map the global properties, chemistry, and mineralogy of a primitive carbonaceous asteroid to characterize its geologic and dynamic history and provide context for the returned samples; 3) Document the texture, morphology, geochemistry, and spectral properties of the regolith at the sampling site in situ at scales down to the sub-centimeter; 4) Measure the Yarkovsky effect on a potentially hazardous asteroid and constrain the asteroid properties that contribute to this effect; AND 5)Characterize the integrated global properties of a primitive carbonaceous asteroid to allow for direct comparison with ground-based telescopic data of the entire asteroid population.

Dr. Gaskell will devote half time to preparations for the operational phase.  These efforts will include training and simulation, development of OLA/SPC interface software, updates to the SPOC software suggested by the simulations, training or its use in other missions or data set.

Dr. Gaskell will also provide support for those using the SPC software or simulated products from CreatorP.

Dr. Gaskell will participate as a member of the ALTWG.  This includes support to NFT-SPC testing and analysis.

Dr. Gaskell will support the ALTWG with review of OLA/SPC documentation (~April 2017).

Dr. Gaskell will updates to the SPC procedure documentation based on SPC thread and Wall testing.

Dr. Gaskell will provide updates to Applicable documents as needed.

Dr. Gaskel will support the ALTWG with building the shape model, producing topographic products for the science team, FDS and Lockheed.  Once the encounter is done, Drs. Gaskell, will perform science analysis building a 5cm global shape model to be published in the literature and the PDS.