Fountain Hills residents will have the opportunity next week to learn about a deep space exploration mission from a local man who is part of the mission team.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, Eric Sahr will be at the Community Center to explain the NASA Osiris-REx Sample Return Mission.

Sahr now lives in Tucson where he works at the University of Arizona as a science and process engineer for the mission. Sahr is a 2008 graduate of Fountain Hills High School. His entire K-12 education took place within the Fountain Hills Unified School District.

Sahr earned his bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the University of Arizona in 2015. He has minors in mechanical engineering and geology. He is currently working on his master’s degree in systems engineering from UA. His master’s research is focused on development of intelligent computer systems for autonomous spacecraft operations.

Sahr said his interest in space sciences evolved with his education.

“There was no epiphany for that,” Sahr said. “When I graduated from high school I was certain I was going to be a doctor.

“I also had this interest in space science that was cultivated by my father for as long as I can remember.”

Sahr said he grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek, and read about the golden age for NASA. He said he would read his dad’s science fiction books, which he believes played a role in his interest.

“I realized that I should go into space science when I joined an undergraduate club at (UA) that was focused on space exploration,” Sahr said. “We had traveled to a NASA facility in California and I realized afterwards that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. This was where I needed to be.”

New job

Sahr landed the job with the Osiris mission through what is probably a pretty normal circumstance. He had a friend who received a job posting for the project, but passed it on because the friend already had a job and no interest in changing. Sahr also had another friend who was already working on Osiris and put in a good word for him.

Sahr’s job on the project is science operations. They control the cameras and other instruments on the spacecraft on behalf of the scientists. The scientists determine what data they want and it is the job of Sahr’s group to follow through.

“It’s our job to get the spacecraft to a point where we can collect that data,” Sahr said. “It’s a balancing act between the scientists who want as much data as they can get, and the spacecraft engineers who are concerned with keeping the spacecraft safe.”

The Osiris REx project chose the asteroid Bennu for the focus of its exploration, which is considered a potential threat to strike the earth in the late 22nd century.

“It’s very important to remember that even though Bennu is potentially a threat, the odds of a collision with Earth are extremely low,” Sahr said, “only 1-in-2,700. That number may seem like a decent chance, but it’s also important to realize that this is a 1-in-2,700 chance in the late 2100s.

“It’s very likely that as we learn more about Bennu, we’ll manage to rule out any chance of an impact with Earth.”

Data obtained by the Osiris REx mission will allow scientists to learn more about the orbits of the asteroids and how they change over time. That will allow scientists to refine predictions of movement even further, Sahr said.

Origins

Scientists also want to collect samples of rock from the asteroid and return it to Earth for further study to learn more about the origins of the solar system and the universe.

Sahr said the asteroids are remaining debris of rock left over after the formation of the planets.

“They are unaltered from the very beginning of our solar system,” Sahr said. “We can learn about the chemical composition of our solar system at the very beginning by examining these unaltered objects up close.”

The asteroids may also contain the building blocks of life, providing clues as to how life developed here on earth.

The Osiris spacecraft will not actually land on the asteroid, but simply do a fly-by close enough to snatch a sample to return to earth for study.

“We are performing what is called a ‘touch and go’ maneuver,” Sahr said. “We extend a big arm, and on the end of it is a special canister, almost like a coffee filter.

The spacecraft lowers itself incredibly slowly, moving a few inches per second down to the surface. When it detects that it has bumped our canister into the asteroid, it fires compressed gas to agitate the regolith (surface rock) and collect a sample.”

After only a five-second touchdown the spacecraft will back away. If engineers determine the collection was successful the sample is packed up for the long trip home.

The Osiris REx mission launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. the morning of Sept. 8, for its two-year trip to the Bennu asteroid. It will fly in formation with the asteroid for another two years before collection in July 2020. The return trip will begin the following March for an arrival back on Earth in September of 2023.

The presentation for the Activity Center will take place on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 2 to 3 p.m. The program is free for Activity Center members and $5 fee non-members. Also, students and youth will be admitted free.

Pre-registration is required. Reference Course #2076 when registering.

For more information, contact the Fountain Hills Activity Center at 480-816-5226 or visit the Town of Fountain Hills website at fh.az.gov.