IonStorm

The JPL database is a good summary, but http://arxiv.org/pdf/1409.4704v1.pdf has the state of the art on Bennu.

Super idea, and I'm delighted at how excited the community is over this. Get engaged at: https://www.facebook.com/OSIRISREx https://twitter.com/OSIRISREx https://www.youtube.com/OSIRISREx https://www.instagram.com/osiris_rex/ https://plus.google.com/+OSIRISRExMission/posts http://dslauretta.com And apps http://www.cox7.com/video/osiris-rex-mobile-app/ http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/osirisrex.html

Here is TAGSAM in action https://videopress.com/v/rEhJ3Ugt and here is the nominal TAG sequence Taken from http://dslauretta.com/2014/02/14/sampling-an-asteroid-a-game-of-laser-tag/ and http://dslauretta.com/2015/04/20/development-of-the-osiris-rex-sampling-system-tagsam-and-the-src/

Excellent, it is exactly a touch and go. Our sampler is even called TAGSAM (Touch And Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism). However, since the real asteroid is ~3E+7 times the mass of the spacecraft (6E+10 kg/2E+3 kg) in KSP a Class E asteroid would be ~2E+3 times the mass of the spacecraft. Even if KSP asteroids had gravity, it is way too small to allow the semi-stable orbit OSIRIS-REx can achieve around Bennu. Also, in planetary encounters the size of the planet is arbitrarily large compared to the spacecraft. Even tiny Bennu is ~80x the maximum length of the spacecraft (500m/6m). I think a Real Solar System is a more elegant solution. But you are welcome to try with a scaled down mission too (perhaps 183kg, 27cm x 27cm x 29cm cubesat).

No need to be so formal. It is single engine (SEC) Centaur. This is designated by the second 1 in Atlas V 411.

These are close with respect to the science http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu https://www.diskdetective.org http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu but the cost of entry is still too high for the engineering. As a tax-payer or a stock-holder this should make you happy.

Thanks! That xkcd has been posted on more than one office door. However, I use this one in talks when introducing OSIRIS-REx science objectives: Mouseover text: "All we have are these stupid tantalizing zircons and the scars on the face of the Moon." I've been playing (mostly stock) KSP since v0.10, watching my some YouTubers, and lurking but have very rarely posted to the forums. As a chemist, I'm not expert in flight dynamics and have learned a lot from messing with KSP. Now in meetings with the navigation team, I picture maneuver nodes!

Again, if you folks need additional detail, let me know. But the CAD drawings and photos should already provide remarkable detail. Summary of data: CAD Drawings Photos and more Bennu details Oh, and this is a little about the science:

Here are values taken from the current draft of our public fact sheet. Though the fact sheet is being revised, the values are currently accurate. The dry mass may increase a small amount in the next few months, but the wet mass is solid. Any increase in dry mass comes out of our fuel reserve. The size will not change. Length: 6.2 m (20.25 feet, with solar panels deployed) Width: 2.43 m (8 feet) x 2.43 m (8 feet) Height: 3.15 m (10.33 feet) TAGSAM Length: 3.35 m (11 feet) Dry Mass (unfueled): 880 kg (1,940 pounds) Wet Mass (fueled): 2,110 kg (4,650 pounds) Power: Two solar panels generate between 1,226 watts and 3,000 watts, depending on the spacecraft’s distance from the Sun. Please tell me if you need other specific information for your models and I will see what I can get released for you.

I'll see how much detail about the wet and dry mass I'm allowed to share. But here are better values than Wikipedia has: http://dslauretta.com/2015/02/08/the-osiris-rex-heavy-launch-opportunity/ "...we are on target to maintain our projected dry mass of 860 kg. The maximum capacity of our propellant tank is 1245 kg of hydrazine. Adding this mass to our dry mass results in launch wet mass of 2110 kg..."

Love it!

OSIRIS-REx is a PI competitively won mission. The PI is Prof. Dante Lauretta from the University of Arizona. I am the Project Scientist, so I am a NASA employee who works to ensure that the mission objectives continue to be aligned with NASA objectives, that the science and engineering needs are balanced. I have been working on OSIRIS-REx or its predecessor concepts since 2004. OSIRIS-REx has a high gain antenna for communication and gravity measurements, 2 cameras for asteroid navigation, 2 star trackers for navigation, reaction wheels, 2 flash lidars for sample navigation, ACS thrusters, hydrazine main engines, two 2-axis articulated solar arrays, etc. The solar arrays must be balanced to maintain the center of mass and the center of area since the solar pressure is about the same as the gravity at the asteroid (~1/2 km across). The spacecraft is blanketed in germanium black Kapton, so it is silver/black not gold. The sampling system uses a jet on nitrogen gas to blow surface regolith into an air filter-like collector on the end of a robotic arm. It touches the surface for only 5 seconds then stows the collection head inside the (Stardust-like) sample return capsule (SRC) by severing the head. There is a camera to be sure the sample is properly locked in the SRC. The spacecraft is wrapped The instrument payload is: a suite of 3 cameras (U. Arizona) 2 spectrometers from 0.4-50µm (GSFC, Arizona State), a lidar (Canadian Space Agency), and a student-made x-ray fluorescence imager (MIT/Harvard). The spacecraft take 2 years to get to Bennu maps for over a year, samples, and returns in 2023. The SRC (heat shield, a drogue, and main chute) is released and lands in Utah, while the spacecraft is left to orbit the Sun for decommissioning or re-use (as NASA sees fit). Here is a basic animation (a better movie is in development) http://www.asteroidmission.org/mission Here is more than you want to know about Bennu: http://arxiv.org/abs/1409.4704 It is bigger than a Class E asteroid and smaller than Gilly (but I usually go to Gilly) As far as modifications to the mission, you are free to be as accurate as you like. But in real missions the most important things (in order) are cost, safety, schedule, and science. Often cost=schedule. Atlas V 411 is the most reliable (i.e. safe) launch vehicle withe enough capability to get us to Bennu without wasting money on too much power (or shaking the spacecraft apart). Currently OSIRIS-REx is on schedule and under budget! Have fun, Jason P.S. See also my post in Science & Spaceflight on the social media event in Denver April 29 (or just go to http://www.nasa.gov/social/osiris-rex-preview). Also, the launch in at KSC (Florida) opening 7:05 pm September 8 for anyone who wants to go. Due to orbital mechanics and cost, September/October 2016 is our only window.

OSIRIS-REx is a NASA robotic sample return mission going to near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Bennu is a primitive asteroid, roughly spherical and 1/2 km across in an orbit mostly between Earth and Mars. (There isn't really a comparable object in the Kerbol System.) OSIRIS-REx launches at around sunset on an Atlas V 411 rocket. It has a wet mass of 2110 kg. There are numerous images of the at dslauretta.com. Below is also a file with collection of spacecraft drawings from a design review. All of these are approved for distribution, so between the photos and the drawings you should have a tremendous insight into the design. CAD Drawings (PDF) My name is Dr. Jason Dworkin and I am the Project Scientist for the mission and I have made a few versions of OSIRIS-REx, including the this (PDF) in stock 1.0.5 parts. But is far too heavy, the center of mass is not well aligned with the center of thrust, and I have been unsatisfied with my use of mods to articulate the solar arrays and sampling arm. I did a launch with Launchers Pack, OSFairings, TweakScale, InfernalRobotics, and some mass edits to some stock parts but there were still issues. I'll bet you can do better. I challenge this community to create, launch, rendezvous, and return a sample. I look forward to your results. Detailed rules below. The contest closed October 8, 2016 at 7:05pm EDT.

If you are in the Denver area, here is an opportunity to see a the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft before it launches in September 2016. You can also use the experience to help you model this and other probes. http://www.nasa.gov/social/osiris-rex-preview

Thanks. I didn't see the hotfix.

I encountered a problem where a mission did not complete on a clean install of 1.0.5, though all conditions were met. I was attempting to place two satellites in Kerbin two different equatorial orbit to complete two contracts. The first one was fine and the second did not complete, though all conditions were met. You can see that KSP claims that the materials bay is absent, when it is clearly present in the image. Screen shot: http://www./view/a2rrfhqczwagz99/Failure.png Build ID http://www./view/y7jthb724yfo24p/buildID.txt Craft file (apparently I changed the fuel tank to that pictured and fixed the struts after saving. http://www./download/6xd46x9argxyd4y/KSat_AB.craft KSP Log http://www./download/1ogt00tp69cdr2l/KSP.log Mac profile http://www./view/4uwms41tcgjtkae/MacOSX.txt I removed the first satellite and did a fresh launch and was able to complete the mission. http://www./download/ll551dzzettg1tm/KSat_B%27.craft

Thanks for looking into it. You know, I forgot I could change the camera mode during EVA (I don't get much time to play and keep in practice). I also figured I'd try to be greedy and get my whole capsule (besides that's where the snacks are). I figured I would have enough time to emergency transmit the data and EVA my Kerbin into a safe orbit for rescue on the last refill of hydrazine. Pushing the capsule into orbit was going perfectly until I was nearly there and I tried to EVA to refill my hydrazine. Then I frantically tried to get back to the capsule before expending all my hydrazine--I nearly opened the cheat menu, but decided to accept my (Kerbal's) fate. I'm expecting a Kongressional inquiry into the incident.

I didn't take a screen shot, but I had a Command Pod Mk1 with a Mk16 Parachute, two Mk2-R Radial-Mount Parachutes, two OX-STAT Photovoltaic Panels, two Mystery Gooâ„¢ Containment Units, two Pegasus I Mobility Enhancers, one 2HOT Thermometer, one Communotron 16, and one SC-9001 Science Jr. Such as the arrangement shown. I was pushing on the bottom of the Science Jr. I had done so successfully for one load of EVA hydrazine and was finishing my second. Whenever I would EVA within, say a 10 or 20 m the camera would freak out again and my Kerbal would RCS off in some random direction. I have seen the sliding ladder issue and the ejecting from the door issue. This was something else. It was the camera changing perspectives (perhaps from orbital to chase as I was on the edge of getting my orbit above the munar surface?).

I encountered strange camera behavior in v0.25 Mac OS, no mods, hard mode, standard install. After failing to achieve orbit around Mun due to lack of fuel, I had my Kerbal EVA to push the capsule into orbit. After reaching 10% hydrazine I had the Kerbal enter the capsule to refuel. On the second time of pushing I was down to 20% fuel and had nearly achieved an orbit and suddenly the camera started to spin and zoom out. As a result the Kerbal flew away from the capsule. Every time I would navigate close to the capsule the camera would start to spin again and he would jet in all directions both consuming fuel and moving in random directions away from the capsule. This occurred until my Kerbal exhausted his fuel and both he and the capsule he nearly rescued plowed into the munar surface. :'(

Having one or more near-Kerbal asteroids in addition to any asteroid belt would be fantastic. The ability to try to re-create the successful NEAR Shoemaker mission http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEAR_Shoemaker and nearly failed Hayabusa mission http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa_mission as well as upcoming missions like OSIRIS-REx <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa_2 would be a fantastic challenge. A comet would also be super cool but would require the formation of a coma at the right time to reproduce the STARDUST mission http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust_(spacecraft). P.S. If you haven\'t seen the stunning job by MESSENGER getting to Mercury, here it is http://youtu.be/GXEuQtpreXE imagine planning this with KSP!

Good choice. Better is the enemy of good. Agreed. In NASA-speak, call it a 'desirement.' I figured. At least without adding a stupid number of SAS and RCS units.

This is fantastic. I have three questions: With v0.13 can you make a version an Intrepid V Heavy? Have you considered making a two engine Centaur stage? Do you have any suggestions on making an Intrepid V 411 stable? With these one could have the entire family: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_V#Versions