During the Sept. 23 flyby, the spacecraft passed about 2,136 miles (3,438 kilometers) above Earth while collecting a rich set of images and measurements to calibrate its science instruments ahead of the asteroid campaign.
One highlight of the maneuver is a color composite view of Earth assembled from six MapCam exposures, showing the planet in detail with Australia clearly visible in the frame.
Mission teams also produced additional calibration data during the flyby, including a StowCam video sequence used to monitor the instrument deck as Earth moved through the background, and a separate dual exposure capturing both the Moon and Earth during the spacecraft's departure.
Originally flown as OSIRIS-REx to return a sample from asteroid Bennu, the repurposed OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft is now on a multi-year cruise that will culminate in close operations around Apophis shortly after its 2029 Earth flyby.
Once at Apophis, OSIRIS-APEX is planned to perform detailed mapping, study how the asteroid's surface responds to its close passage by Earth, and investigate its composition and structure to refine models of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects.
The Earth flyby marks a key milestone in that journey, confirming the spacecraft's navigation and instrument performance as it heads back into deep space on its new Apophis-focused mission.
Related Links
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Asteroid and Comet Mission News, Science and Technology
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