OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security--Regolith Explorer) launched September 8, 2016. It explored the Near Earth Asteroid (101955) Bennu in detail including with the Goddard-built OVIRS instrument. OSIRIS-REx collected a sample in October 2020 and returned it to Earth on September 24, 2023. This sample will help us investigate planet formation and the origin of life, and the data collected at the asteroid will also aid our understanding of asteroids that can impact Earth (Bennu is a potentially hazardous object with a 1-in-2,700 chance of impacting Earth between the years 2175 and 2199). OSIRIS-REx is led by PI Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona and managed by GSFC.
OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security--Regolith Explorer) launched September 8, 2016. It explored the Near Earth Asteroid (101955) Bennu in detail including with the Goddard-built OVIRS instrument. OSIRIS-REx collected a sample in October 2020 and returned it to Earth on September 24, 2023. This sample will help us investigate planet formation and the origin of life, and the data collected at the asteroid will also aid our understanding of asteroids that can impact Earth (Bennu is a potentially hazardous object with a 1-in-2,700 chance of impacting Earth between the years 2175 and 2199). OSIRIS-REx is led by PI Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona and managed by GSFC.
Related Publications
2025.
"An overview of the petrography and petrology of particles from aggregate sample from asteroid Bennu.",
Meteoritics & Planetary Science,
[10.1111/maps.14335]
[Journal Article/Letter]
2023.
"Bennu and Some of the Biggest Science Questions of Our Generation.",
NASA Blogs,[Full Text]
[Other]
2025.
"Abundant ammonia and nitrogen-rich soluble organic matter in samples from asteroid (101955) Bennu.",
Nature Astronomy,[Full Text]
[10.1038/s41550-024-02472-9]
[Journal Article/Letter]
2025.
"An evaporite sequence from ancient brine recorded in Bennu samples.",
Nature,
637
(8048):
1072-1077
[10.1038/s41586-024-08495-6]
[Journal Article/Letter]
2024.
"Micro‐ and nanoscale studies of insoluble organic matter and C‐rich presolar grains in Murchison and Sutter's Mill in preparation for Bennu sample analysis.",
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
[10.1111/maps.14254]
[Journal Article/Letter]