Asteroid sample return mission allows researchers to conduct largest geophysical observation campaign of its kind

The OSIRIS-REx project made history last year as the first U.S. mission to bring back an asteroid sample from space. Along with this, a treasure trove of data has also been created. An international research team led by Sandia National Laboratories and including researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory published a study in the Planetary Science Journal that reveals preliminary findings from capsule reentry.

The return of the Osiris-Rex capsule was the largest geophysical observational campaign of its kind. “This project was a unique opportunity to observe the geophysical signals produced by meter-sized objects traveling at hypersonic speeds,” said lead author Chris Carr of Los Alamos National Laboratory. “There are few opportunities to prepare scientists to collect the kind of data they need to advance scientific research for years to come.”

The campaign involved more than 400 sensors, many of which were installed along “America’s Loneliest Road” near Eureka, Nevada. Given the scale of the project, there were many objectives among the more than 80 collaborators. One team of Los Alamos scientists focuses on distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), and the entire paper includes many methods for acquiring data during the capsule’s return.

Space material passes through Earth’s atmosphere, but it’s difficult to determine when and where the object will enter. Even if those factors could be determined, financial and logistical constraints would almost certainly prevent it from starting. For this reason, real-time observational data on the behavior of foreign objects entering the atmosphere is extremely limited. The OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule gave researchers a unique opportunity to collect this data.

“For our DAS subteam, it was the fact that we recorded the signal using cables laid on the surface,” Kerr said. “This is the first time such a signal has been recorded by DAS, and going into the fieldwork we were not sure whether we would be successful. I was very excited to see that it was recorded.”

Preliminary findings from the campaign indicate implications for future projects in space and on the ground. In particular, we support the development of entry and propagation models. This paper documents the process used to detect and record capsule intrusions and shows that the method can handle the types of observations required in this large-scale campaign. This will significantly increase our knowledge of intrusion detection of space objects and allow researchers to better understand how objects enter Earth’s atmosphere.

Now that the capsule has landed and its data is ready for release, OSIRIS-REx is gearing up for its next mission. NASA has renamed the spacecraft OSIRIS-APEX as it prepares for its 2029 arrival at the asteroid Apophis.