OSIRIS-REx Contamination Control Strategy and Implementation
Abstract
OSIRIS-REx will return pristine samples of carbonaceous asteroid Bennu. This article describes how pristine was defined based on expectations of Bennu and on a realistic understanding of what is achievable with a constrained schedule and budget, and how that definition flowed to requirements and implementation. To return a pristine sample, the OSIRIS- REx spacecraft sampling hardware was maintained at level 100 A/2 and <180 ng/cm2 of amino acids and hydrazine on the sampler head through precision cleaning, control of materials, and vigilance. Contamination is further characterized via witness material exposed to the spacecraft assembly and testing environment as well as in space. This characterization provided knowledge of the expected background and will be used in conjunction with archived spacecraft components for comparison with the samples when they are delivered to Earth for analysis. Most of all, the cleanliness of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was achieved through communication among scientists, engineers, managers, and technicians.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1704.02517,
title = {OSIRIS-REx Contamination Control Strategy and Implementation},
author = {J. P. Dworkin and L. A. Adelman and T. Ajluni and A. V. Andronikov and J. C. Aponte and A. E. Bartels and E. Beshore and E. B. Bierhaus and J. R. Brucato and B. H. Bryan and A. S. Burton and M. P. Callahan and S. L. Castro-Wallace and B. C. Clark and S. J. Clemett and H. C. Connolly and W. E. Cutlip and S. M. Daly and V. E. Elliott and J. E. Elsila and H. L. Enos and D. F. Everett and I. A. Franchi and D. P. Glavin and H. V. Graham and J. E. Hendershot and J. W. Harris and S. L. Hill and A. R. Hildebrand and G. O. Jayne and R. W. Jenkens and K. S. Johnson and J. S. Kirsch and D. S. Lauretta and A. S. Lewis and J. J. Loiacono and C. C. Lorentson and J. R. Marshall and M. G. Martin and L. L. Matthias and H. L. McLain and S. R. Messenger and R. G. Mink and J. L. Moore and K. Nakamura-Messenger and J. A. Nuth and C. V. Owens and C. L. Parish and B. D. Perkins and M. S. Pryzby and C. A. Reigle and K. Righter and B. Rizk and J. F. Russell and S. A. Sandford and J. P. Schepis and J. Songer and M. F. Sovinski and S. E. Stahl and K. Thomas-Keprta and J. M. Vellinga and M. S. Walker},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1704.02517},
year = {2017}
}
Comments
75 pages, 28 figures, 2 supplements, accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews