OSIRIS-REx
Generated by DeepSeek V3.2Expansion Funnel Raw 35 → Dedup 0 → NER 0 → Enqueued 0
| OSIRIS-REx | |
|---|---|
| Name | OSIRIS-REx |
| Mission type | Asteroid sample-return mission |
| Operator | NASA / University of Arizona |
| COSPAR ID | 2016-055A |
| SATCAT | 41757 |
| Mission duration | 7 years (planned), 7 years, 4 months, 2 days (achieved) |
| Spacecraft | OSIRIS-REx |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin Space |
| Launch mass | 2,110 kg (4,650 lb) |
| Launch date | September 8, 2016, 23:05 UTC |
| Launch rocket | Atlas V 411 (AV-067) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 |
| Disposal type | Sample return |
| Landing date | September 24, 2023 |
| Landing site | Utah Test and Training Range |
| Apsis | helion |
OSIRIS-REx was a pioneering NASA mission that successfully returned a pristine sample from a near-Earth asteroid. Managed by the University of Arizona and built by Lockheed Martin Space, its primary goal was to collect material from Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid believed to contain organic molecules from the early Solar System. The mission's findings are providing unprecedented insights into planetary formation and the origins of life on Earth.
Mission overview
The mission, formally named the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer, was selected under NASA's New Frontiers program. Its core objectives included mapping Bennu, acquiring a substantial regolith sample, and delivering it to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis. The mission also aimed to characterize the asteroid's properties to better understand its orbit and composition, contributing to planetary defense studies. The overall effort was led by principal investigator Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona.
Spacecraft design
The spacecraft bus was based on heritage designs from previous missions like MAVEN and built by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Key instruments included the OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite (OCAMS), the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES), the OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS), and a laser altimeter named OLA provided by the Canadian Space Agency. The most critical system was the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), a robotic arm designed to collect material in a brief contact with the asteroid's surface.
Journey to Bennu
Launched on September 8, 2016, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral SLC-41, the spacecraft began a two-year cruise. It performed an Earth gravity assist in September 2017 to adjust its trajectory toward Bennu. After a detailed approach phase, OSIRIS-REx arrived at the asteroid in December 2018, initiating an extensive survey and mapping campaign to select the optimal sample site, later named Nightingale.
Sample collection
On October 20, 2020, the spacecraft executed the historic TAGSAM maneuver, descending to the surface of Bennu. The arm fired a burst of nitrogen gas to stir up regolith, which was captured in a collection head. Imagery confirmed the operation was so successful that sample material was seen escaping from an overfilled collector. Subsequent maneuvers verified the spacecraft had captured well over the mission's 60-gram minimum requirement, securing the precious cargo for its return voyage.
Return to Earth
After departing Bennu in May 2021, the spacecraft began its journey back to Earth. On September 24, 2023, it released its Sample Return Capsule (SRC) for atmospheric re-entry. The capsule landed successfully at the Utah Test and Training Range, where it was recovered by teams from NASA and the Department of Defense. The main spacecraft then performed a divert maneuver to avoid Earth's atmosphere, entering a new orbit around the Sun under the renamed OSIRIS-APEX mission to study asteroid 99942 Apophis.
Scientific findings
Preliminary analysis of the returned sample at NASA's Johnson Space Center revealed the surface of Bennu is rich in carbon and water-bearing clay minerals, key ingredients for life. The asteroid was found to be a rubble-pile object, loosely bound by gravity, with a surface resembling a plastic ball pit. These discoveries support the theory that asteroids like Bennu may have delivered essential compounds to the early Earth, and the data is crucial for refining impact hazard models for near-Earth objects.
Category:NASA space probes Category:Asteroid sample-return missions Category:2016 in spaceflight