OSIRIS-REx

Sept. 25, 2020

25 Days of 'O-REx'

The UArizona-led OSIRIS-REx mission is poised to accomplish a first for NASA: collect a sample from a near-Earth asteroid and bring it back home. As the Oct. 20 collection date nears, here are 25 facts about the mission.

Sept. 24, 2020

OSIRIS-REx Begins its Countdown to TAG

In just a few weeks, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will descend to asteroid Bennu's boulder-strewn surface and collect a sample of the asteroid's rocks and dust.

Sept. 22, 2020

NASA to Provide Update on Agency's First Asteroid Sample Collection Attempt

NASA will hold a media teleconference to provide an update on the agency's first attempt to make contact with the surface of asteroid Bennu and collect a sample next month.

Sept. 21, 2020

NASA's OSIRIS-REx to Asteroid Bennu: 'You've Got a Little Vesta on You...'

Bits of the asteroid Vesta have been found on the mission's target asteroid Bennu, highlighting the variety of asteroids in the solar system and what it says about its evolution.

Sept. 9, 2020

Where Rocks Come Alive: OSIRIS-REx Observes an Asteroid in Action

While studying the asteroid Bennu up close, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft witnessed periodic outbursts of material being kicked up from the surface. Scientists detail the observations in a new collection of research papers.

artist's rendering shows the descending OSIRIS-REx spacecraft

Aug. 12, 2020

Successful Second Rehearsal Puts OSIRIS-REx on Path to Asteroid Sample Collection

During its final practice run in preparation for sample collection at asteroid Bennu, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft approached the surface closer than ever before.

Aug. 6, 2020

OSIRIS-REx is One Rehearsal Away from Touching Asteroid Bennu

The matchpoint rehearsal will allow the University of Arizona-led OSIRIS-REx team to exercise nearly all systems before the sample collection event in the fall.

July 15, 2020

Mapping the Solar System: From the Moon to Bennu

The OSIRIS-REx science team has created the highest resolution global map of any planetary body. The endeavor is the latest in UArizona's long history of celestial imaging and mapping.

This image, taken by the spacecraft from a distance of 0.4 miles, shows a group of large boulders located just north of asteroid Bennu’s equatorial region, with two exhibiting linear cracks. For scale, the crack that runs through the rectangular boulder

June 9, 2020

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Discovers Sunlight Can Crack Rocks on Asteroid Bennu

Scientists with the UArizona-led OSIRIS-REx mission found that rocks on asteroid Bennu appear to be cracking as sunlight heats them up during the day and they cool down at night.

This image, showing asteroid Bennu's spinning-top shape, was taken by the MapCam camera on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on April 29, from a distance of 5 miles. From the spacecraft's vantage point, half of Bennu is sunlit and half is in shadow.
Credit:

June 1, 2020

Asteroids Bennu and Ryugu May Have Formed Directly From Collision in Space

Scientists from the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 teams have new theories about why the asteroids Bennu and Ryugu have their signature "spinning-top" shapes.

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