Arizona-Built Cameras Play Major Role In NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission

By Sara Hammond
Published: Thursday, August 13, 2015 - 3:15pm
Updated: Monday, August 17, 2015 - 11:00am
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(Photo courtesy of University of Arizona - Symeon Platts)
UA’s completed camera suite, OCAMS, sits on a test bench that mimics its arrangement on the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. The three cameras that compose the instrument are the eyes of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.

Three University of Arizona-built cameras will soon be added to the NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft being assembled in Colorado.

The OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite, or OCAMS, is the eyes of the mission that will visit an asteroid and collect a sample to be returned to Earth for study.

"It has three camera components which were specifically tailored to help the mission achieve its goal of finding the asteroid, safely entering orbit, picking out a safe landing site and documenting the retrieval of that sample," said Chuck Fellows, manager of the camera program.

UA is leading The OSIRIS-REx mission. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch in September 2016, with the sample coming back to Earth in 2023.

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