What does OSIRIS-REx do?

The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) is the first U.S. spacecraft to collect a sample from an asteroid. OSIRIS-REx traveled to near-Earth asteroid Bennu and is bringing a small sample to Earth for study.

What type of technology is NASA’s OSIRIS-REx?

The OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) is a scanning and lidar instrument that will provide high resolution topographical information throughout the mission.

What is OSIRIS-REx doing now?

Sep 08, 2020 OSIRIS-REx remains in a frozen, safe-home orbit around Bennu, and the spacecraft is flying approximately 900 meters above the asteroid’s surface. Today, OSIRIS-REx celebrates four years since launch.

What is the total projected cost of the Osiris-REx mission?

$1.16 billion
The OSIRIS-REx mission is expected to cost $1.16 billion. $588.5 million was spent on spacecraft development and $183.5 million on its launch vehicle. Nine years of prime mission operations are expected to cost approximately $283 million.

Why is OSIRIS-REx important?

The primary objective of OSIRIS-REx is to return pristine carbonaceous material from the early Solar System. This material will provide important clues to the origin of life on Earth and the likelihood that life may have originated elsewhere in our solar system.

What did we learn from OSIRIS-REx?

OSIRIS-REx is going to Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid that records the earliest history of our Solar System, and bringing a piece of it back to Earth. Bennu may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life and the Earth’s oceans. Bennu is also one of the most potentially hazardous asteroids.

How is OSIRIS-REx powered?

OSIRIS-REx has two power-generating solar panels affixed to the zenith-panel of the spacecraft. When deployed, the arrays give the spacecraft a span of 6.2 meters; their active area amounts to 8.5 square meters.

Where is asteroid Bennu now?

The Bennu asteroid: NASA discovered the Bennu asteroid in 1999. It’s currently almost 200 million miles away from us, but it’s expected to get within 125,000 miles in 2135 — that’s about half the distance between Earth and the moon.

What is the largest known asteroid in the solar system?

Ceres
Asteroids might look dry and barren, but the Solar System’s biggest asteroid — Ceres — is chock full of water, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has found.

How much sample did OSIRIS-REx collect?

two kilograms
“A substantial amount of the sample is seen floating away,” mission lead Dante Lauretta said Friday. As it turned out, the sample collection attempt picked up too much material—possibly up to two kilograms, the upper limit of what OSIRIS-REx was designed to collect. About 400 grams seems visible from the cameras.

When was the OSIRIS-REx mission launched?

September 8, 2016OSIRIS-REx / Fly date

Which is the mission of NASA to study asteroid?

NASA’s Galileo mission was the first spacecraft to fly past an asteroid. It flew past asteroid Gaspara in 1991 and Ida in 1993.

Does Bennu destroy Earth?

He was asked about the destruction that could result from a possible strike by Bennu. He said a hit would not destroy all life on Earth. But the event would create a crater about 10 to 20 times the size of the asteroid. Bennu is thought to be about 500 meters wide.

Did NASA capture an asteroid?

Captured on Aug. 11, 2020 during the second rehearsal of the OSIRIS-REx mission’s sample collection event, this series of images shows the SamCam imager’s field of view as the NASA spacecraft approaches asteroid Bennu’s surface.

Where is the Lucy probe now?

The spacecraft is traveling at roughly 67,000 mph (108,000 kph) on a trajectory that will orbit the Sun and bring it back toward Earth in October 2022 for the spacecraft’s first gravity assist. That maneuver will accelerate and direct Lucy’s trajectory beyond the orbit of Mars.

What is the OSIRIS-REx mission?

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.

What is the OSIRIS-REx mission to Bennu?

About OSIRIS-REx. OSIRIS-REx will travel to a near-Earth asteroid called Bennu and bring a small sample back to Earth for study. The mission launched Sept. 8, 2016, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. As planned, the spacecraft will reach Bennu in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023.

Who is the lead engineer for OSIRIS-REx?

Coralie Adam joined KinetX and the OSIRIS-REx team in 2011, and has served as the optical navigation lead engineer throughout mission development and into proximity operations at Bennu. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois and University of Colorado, respectively.

Who is KinetX’s OSIRIS-REx navigation team?

Before joining KinetX in January of 2013 and eventually leading the OSIRIS-REx Navigation Team, Peter led the navigation of the twin orbiters of NASA’s GRAIL mission into synchronous orbit at the Moon. Peter earned his BS, MS and PhD degrees in Aerospace Engineering, respectively, from Purdue, University of Texas and University of Colorado.