Sunday, September 24, 2023

Preparing for Asteroid Bennu Samples: Earth Return Today! | NASA's OSIRIS-REx

Preparing for Asteroid Bennu Samples: Earth Return Today! | NASA's OSIRIS-REx

Stephen Lee, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Flight Operations team, performs preflight checks in preparation for the retrieval of the sample return capsule from NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range. 

Members of NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Flight Operations team are seen preparing for the retrieval of the sample return capsule from NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range.

Members of NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Flight Operations team perform preflight checks in preparation for the retrieval of the sample return capsule from NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range.

OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission. It launched in September 2016 on a journey to explore a near-Earth asteroid called Bennu. In October 2020, the spacecraft ventured to the asteroid’s surface and collected about 250 grams of material for delivery to Earth. The mission’s thrilling finale is taking place today, September 24, 2023, as OSIRIS-REx releases a capsule containing the Bennu samples for touchdown in the Utah desert by parachute.

Watch Live on NASA TV: nasa.gov/nasatv  

10 a.m. EDT — Live coverage of  NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return

5 p.m. EDT — Media briefing on NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return

All times U.S. Eastern Daylight Time, which equates to UTC-4.

Follow sample-delivery updates on NASA's OSIRIS-REx blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/

OSIRIS-REx NASA page: https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex

University of Arizona's OSIRIS-REx Mission Page: http://www.asteroidmission.org


Image Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

Image Date: Aug. 29, 2023


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