Validation of stereophotoclinometric shape models of asteroid (101955) Bennu during the OSIRIS-REx mission

Abstract

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid (101955) Bennu relied on the production of real-time shape models for both spacecraft navigation and scientific analysis. The primary method of constructing shape models during the early phases of the mission was image-based stereophotoclinometry (SPC). The SPC shape models were used for operational planning, navigation, sample site selection, and initial scientific investigations. To this end, detailed analyses of the quality of each shape model and a thorough documentation of all sources of error were vital to ensure proper considerations of the limitations of each model. In this paper, we present methods used during the OSIRIS-REx mission to validate the SPC shape models and construct the associated quality reports. Although developed for the OSIRIS-REx mission, these validation techniques can be applied to SPC-derived shape models of other planetary bodies. © 2021. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.