NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission goes to development

NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission took a step closer to reality on Wednesday, as the OSIRIS-REx project was cleared for development and testing. Scheduled to launch in 2016, the mission passed a series of detailed project assessments and now goes on to the development phase. The Origins-Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security REgolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) is intended to rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu (1999 RQ36) in 2018, carry out an extensive survey, and return a 2-ounce (60 gm) sample of its surface to Earth in 2023... Continue Reading NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission goes to development

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, NASA, OSIRIS REx, Spacecraft

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