Sensitivity Testing of Stereophotoclinometry for the OSIRIS-REx Mission. II. Effective Observation Geometry for Digital Terrain Modeling

• DOI: 10.3847/psj/ad17c4
• Publication Date: 2024-02-21T18:22:59Z
• Authors: Eric E. Palmer; John R. Weirich; Robert W. Gaskell; Diane Lambert; Tanner Campbell; Kris Drozd; Olivier S. Barnouin; Michael G. Daly; Kenneth Getzandanner; John N. Kidd; Coralie D. Adam; Dante S. Lauretta
• Keywords: Osiris

Abstract The OSIRIS-REx mission used stereophotoclinometry (SPC) to generate digital terrain models (DTMs) of its target asteroid, Bennu. Here we present a suite preflight tests conducted identify the observing geometry and number images needed create DTMs that would enable successful navigation around surface asteroid. We demonstrate high-quality can be generated by using only five images: four are focused on topography, in which spacecraft’s viewing brackets (north, south, east, west), fifth measures target’s albedo variation, taken from near local noon. further show first 10 iterations SPC process meaningfully improve DTM quality, including case suboptimal input image set, whereas after quality approaches an asymptotic maximum. distill our findings into recommendations for observation planning applied other missions intending use model shape their target.