Tag: Bennu
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How OSIRIS-REx will snag a sample from asteroid Bennu
This diagram illustrates the major events planned during OSIRIS-REx’s descent to asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20 for a touch and go landing. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona Mars rovers go through seven minutes of terror when they plunge into the Martian atmosphere at hypersonic speed. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will take a more glacial approach to its…
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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft lands on asteroid in bid to collect samples
Artist’s illustration of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft touching down on asteroid Bennu. Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab A robotic arm extended from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly contacted the rugged surface of asteroid Bennu Tuesday to gobble up pristine samples, a climactic moment in the $1 billion mission to bring asteroid material back to Earth in 2023. The daring…
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After four-year journey, NASA spacecraft ready to touch an asteroid
EDITOR’S NOTE: All times are “Earth Received Time” when confirmation of events arrive on Earth. The events will occur more than 18 minutes earlier in real time on-board the spacecraft. Artist’s concept of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft approaching asteroid Bennu. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona Flying on autopilot more than 200 million miles from Earth, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft…
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NASA asteroid explorer aces final rehearsal before sampling run
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft moved within about 131 feet, or 40 meters, of asteroid Bennu this week in the $1 billion mission’s final practice run before a touch-and-go landing on the asteroid in October to collect samples for return to Earth. During the sampling rehearsal Tuesday, engineers monitoring the spacecraft’s maneuvers from Earth confirmed that…
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OSIRIS-REx spacecraft carries out first of two rehearsals before sampling asteroid
This artist’s concept shows the trajectory and configuration of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during the checkpoint rehearsal, which was the first time the mission practiced the initial steps for collecting a sample from asteroid Bennu. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona Operating with on-board autonomy more than 140 million miles from Earth, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft succeeded Tuesday in…
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NASA selects site for OSIRIS-REx to collect asteroid samples
This image shows sample site Nightingale, OSIRIS-REx’s primary sample collection site on asteroid Bennu. The image is overlaid with a graphic of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to illustrate the scale of the site. Credits: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona Using precise autonomous navigation algorithms, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will descend to the surface of an asteroid next year, aiming…
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Surprise! NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe catches asteroid spewing bits into space
This view of asteroid Bennu ejecting particles from its surface on Jan. 19 was created by combining two images taken by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Other image processing techniques were applied, such as cropping and adjusting the brightness and contrast of each image. (NASA / Goddard / Univ. of Arizona / Lockheed Martin Photo) NASA’s OSIRIS-REx…
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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft finds particles flying off asteroid Bennu
The navigation camera on NASA’s robotic OSIRIS-REx spacecraft detected material streaming away from asteroid Bennu in this images taken Jan. 19. This view combines two images, one taken at a short exposure to resolve Bennu’s surface, and another at a longer exposure, revealing bright star-like dots, the material streaming away from the asteroid. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University…
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OSIRIS-REx finds rugged terrain on asteroid Bennu
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s navigation camera captured this image of asteroid Bennu on Jan. 17 from a distance of approximately 1 mile (1.6 kilometers). The large boulder in partial shadow at the lower right of the frame is about 165 feet (50 meters) across. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Lockheed Martin Some time next year, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft…
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OSIRIS-REx finds rugged terrain on asteroid Bennu
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s navigation camera captured this image of asteroid Bennu on Jan. 17 from a distance of approximately 1 mile (1.6 kilometers). The large boulder in partial shadow at the lower right of the frame is about 165 feet (50 meters) across. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Lockheed Martin Some time next year, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft…