In early November 2018, OSIRIS-REx sent back detailed images showing the asteroid’s shape and some surface features.Īfter arriving at Bennu on Dec. The spacecraft got its first glimpse of Bennu in August 2018, sending back a grainy image taken at a distance of about 1.4 million miles (2.3 million kilometers). During the encounter, the spacecraft took several high-resolution pictures of both Earth and the Moon. 22, 2017, OSIRIS-REx, passed Earth at a range of about 10,710 miles (17,237 kilometers) as part of a gravity-assist maneuver that tilted its orbit to match that of Bennu. 25, 2017, further sharpened its trajectory by changing the velocity by about 19 inches (47.9 centimeters) per second.Ībout a month later, on Sept. 28, 2016, the spacecraft conducted its first deep-space maneuver (DSM-1), firing the main engine to position it properly for an Earth gravity-assist encounter in late 2017.Ī second firing, the first to use the spacecraft’s attitude control system (ACS) thrusters, on Aug. The spacecraft also carries three other sets of thrusters-the attitude control system (ACS), the main engine (ME), and low thrust reaction engine assembly (LTR) thrusters-thus providing significant redundancy for maneuvers. The spacecraft’s trajectory correction maneuver (TCM) thrusters were fired for 12 seconds for the first time on Oct. 19, 2016, the mission team activated all of its scientific instruments. Three days later, it was in orbit around the Sun. 9, 2016, the spacecraft crossed the orbital path of the Moon at a range of about 240,200 miles (386,500 kilometers). 8, 2016, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and after a boost by the Centaur upper stage, OSIRIS-REx separated from its Atlas V rocket and deployed its solar arrays.Īt 17:30 UT Sept. It will also help us better understand asteroids that could impact Earth in the future.Ībout 55 minutes after launch on Sept. The mission, developed by scientists at the University of Arizona, will give us more information about how the early solar system formed and about how life began. OSIRIS-REx is an acronym for "Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer." The goal of the mission – collect a sample weighing at least 2.1 ounces (59.5 grams) from near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu (formerly known as 1999 RQ36) and then bring the sample to Earth. OSIRIS-REx is the third major planetary science mission for NASA’s New Frontiers Program (after New Horizons launched in 2006 and Juno launched in 2011). Inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, OSIRIS-REx is prepared for encapsulation in its payload fairing. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid.
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The sample collected is estimated to weigh more than 2 ounces (60 grams).
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20, 2020, the spacecraft briefly touched down on Bennu, an asteroid more than 200 million miles (321 million kilometers) from Earth, and grabbed dust and rocks from a sample site called Nightingale. mission to successfully collect a sample from an asteroid.