otes

Lockheed Martin has received the first of five instruments for Nasa’s Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-Rex) spacecraft.

The company is building the spacecraft at its facility near Denver in the US.

OSIRIS-Rex is designed to bring samples of the Bennu asteroid to Earth to help scientists study the composition of material from the earliest part of the solar system’s history. It will also provide information about the source of organic materials and water on Earth.

Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center OSIRIS-Rex project manager Mike Donnelly said: "The next few months will be very busy as we begin integrating the instruments and prepare for the system-level environmental testing programme to begin."

Lockheed Martin will soon install the OSIRIS-Rex Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) instrument onto the spacecraft.

"OTES…will evaluate the asteroid’s temperature and conduct surveys to map mineral and chemical abundances."

OTES, built at the Arizona State University (ASU) Tempe campus, will evaluate the asteroid’s temperature and conduct surveys to map mineral and chemical abundances.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

ASU OTES instrument scientist Philip Christensen said: "OTES, the size of a microwave oven, has spent the last several years being designed, built, tested, and calibrated.

"Now, OTES is shipping out for the solar system."

This instrument will come online after the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft starts its two-year trip to Bennu, to provide spectral data for global maps to assess potential sample sites.

OTES is designed to gather thermal infrared spectral data every two seconds, and to detect temperatures with an accuracy of 0.2°F.

Planned for launch in September 2016, the spacecraft is expected to reach Bennu in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023.

Image: The OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) at Arizona State University. Photo: courtesy of ASU / Charles Leight.