Aryelle spectrometer observes OSIRIS-REx capsule

LTB is excited and a little proud that our Aryelle spectrometer has taken part in an observation mission in connection with OSIRIS-REx. The NASA-led Hypervelocity OSIRIS-REx Reentry Imaging & Spectroscopy (HORIS) project, in collaboration with JAXA, the University of Stuttgart, the University of Southern Queensland and the University of Queensland, observed the capsule containing material from the asteroid Bennu as it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.

Our echelle spectrometer Aryelle has been used for several years by the High Enthalpy Flow Diagnostics Group (HEFDiG). The research group, headed by Dr. Stefan Löhle, is part of the Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart. Our spectrometer has already been used on several re-entry missions and in the institute’s plasma wind tunnel to characterize the entry of objects into the atmosphere and collect information.

For the current mission, the team outfitted a Gulfstream jet at NASA’s Langley Research Center with a suite of instruments to observe the arrival of the OSIRIS Rex sample in Utah. We are pleased that the measurements were successful and are looking forward to the upcoming results.

Further information about the HEFDiG Group: High Enthalpy Flow Diagnostics Group (HEFDiG)

More information about OSIRIS-REx research: OSIRIS-REx and HORIS & Mission-related research