Very cool space mission

[gcode]

OSIRISZ-REX

OSIRIS-REx
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.

OSIRIS-REx is on its way back to Earth to deliver samples it collected from asteroid Bennu in 2020. The samples will arrive on Earth in 2023. An extended mission will take the spacecraft into orbit around near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029.

"OSIRIS-REx's many accomplishments demonstrated the daring and innovative way in which exploration unfolds in real-time," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters. "We have a primordial piece of our solar system headed back to Earth where many generations of researchers can unlock its secrets."

Nation   United States of America (USA)
Objective(s)   Asteroid Sample Return
Spacecraft   Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) / OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer (OSIRIS-APEX)
Spacecraft Mass   4,650 pounds (2,110 kilograms)
Mission Design and Management   NASA GSFC / University of Arizona
Launch Vehicle   Atlas V 411 (no. AV-067)
Launch Date and Time   Sept. 8, 2016 / 23:05 UT
Launch Site   Cape Canaveral, Fla. / SLC-41
Scientific Instruments   
Camera Suite (PolyCam, MapCam, SamCam) (OCAMS OSIRIS-REx)
Laser Altimeter (OLA OSIRIS-REx)
Visible and IR Spectrometer (OVIRS OSIRIS-REx)
Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES OSIRIS-REx)
Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS OSIRIS-REx)
Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM)
Firsts
OSIRIS-REx is the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid.

A 3D model of OSIRIS-REx, a mission to explore asteroid Bennu. Credit: NASA Visualization Technology Applications and Development (VTAD)
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Key Dates
Sep 8, 2016: Launch

Sep 22, 2017: Earth flyby

Dec 3, 2018: Asteroid Bennu arrival

Oct. 20, 2020: OSIRIS-REx successfully collects a sample from Bennu

April 7, 2021: OSIRIS-REx completes its last flyover of Bennu

May 10, 2021: OSIRIS-REx began its journey back to Earth

Sep 24, 2023: Sample capsule expected to be delivered to Earth

2029: Extended mission to asteroid Apophis begins

[RobertELee]

That's awesome!!

[RobertELee]

Amazing how they can calculate a landing zone the size of a small state after 7 years and millions of miles.

[mkd]

Amazing how they can calculate a landing zone the size of a small state after 7 years and millions of miles.

Rocket scientists; the lot of them. Amazing indeed

[MIL-TFP-41]

Our shop built some of the camera housings and mounts for this. Kinda cool to have touched something that wound up on this journey.

[gcode]

Watch it live

10:55 AM EST this morning
probably won't be much to see but talking heads
but it is one hell of an achievement if they can pull it off

[RobertELee]

Here's the actual NASA link, not some hijacked feed.

[RobertELee]

Entering atmosphere now