To ensure a successful landing, the spacecraft spent over 500 days meticulously circling Bennu, capturing high-resolution images of its surface. These images were crucial in generating digital terrain models, allowing for an accurate understanding of the asteroid’s topography.
Switch to Natural Feature Tracking
Initially, the mission planned to rely on LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology for navigation. However, the surface of Bennu surprised the team with an abundance of boulders, rendering LiDAR’s precision insufficient. The team swiftly transitioned to using the NFT system, which provided three-dimensional orbital state estimation capabilities. This enabled the spacecraft to identify potential hazards, such as boulders, during its descent.
