– NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX asteroid probe recently had its first close encounter with the Sun during its extended mission to asteroid Apophis.
– During a close approach on January 2nd, OSIRIS-APEX passed about 46.5 million miles from the Sun’s surface, closer than it was designed for.
– To prepare, the mission team tucked in one solar panel to shade instruments while the other powered the spacecraft, based on computer simulations.
– Telemetry after the encounter showed the spacecraft was unharmed, and it resumed normal operations in early April after moving farther from the Sun.
– Surprisingly, the onboard camera experienced a reduction in “hot pixels” compared to previous tests, having been restored by the spike in heat from the close solar pass.
– The next close solar approach is scheduled for September 1st, when OSIRIS-APEX will pass within a similar distance of the Sun. The effects of multiple such encounters on the probe are still unclear.
– OSIRIS-APEX continues its extended mission to asteroid Apophis in 2029 after the successful sample return from asteroid Bennu.
Source: Space
