The math -- and the precision of the spacecraft's thrusters -- relative to the exact mass of the craft, plus its accumulated and stowed asteriod sample cargo load, here -- is nothing short of jaw slacking:
. . .NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is 328,000 miles, or 528,000 kilometers, away from the asteroid Bennu, having fired its engines on May 10 to initiate a return trip to Earth. The spacecraft is on track to deliver an asteroid sample to Earth on September 24, 2023.
Mission engineers had planned to do a small thruster firing last week to ensure the spacecraft stays on the correct path back to Earth. But, the May 10 departure maneuver was calculated and executed so precisely, the mission team decided not to do a clean-up maneuver last week.
The next possible maneuver adjustment could occur in 2022. . . .
Onward, grinning -- with another baby-girl sleepover scheduled tonight. Very-nice, to be post-COVID here. . . smile.
नमस्ते
No comments:
Post a Comment