What’s Next for OSIRIS REx?
SETI Live
Tags: NASA Missions and Observatories, Asteroids
Time: Thursday, Jul 21, 2022 -
Location: Online
Launched in 2016, the OSIRIS REx spacecraft rendezvoused with the asteroid Bennu, located nearly 200 million miles from Earth. In 2020 OSIRIS REx landed on the asteroid and collected sample material from its surface. Now en route back to Earth, where it will drop off the collected sample for analysis, NASA has extended the spacecraft’s mission, dubbed OSIRIS APEX.
After ejecting the sample return container, OSIRIS APEX will head towards the asteroid Apophis where it will arrive in 2029. The spacecraft will study the asteroid and get close enough to use its thrusters to expose subsurface materials.
Dr. Daniella Dellagiustina, Deputy Principal Investigator of OSIRIS REx and Principal Investigator of OSIRIS APEX, will update us on this exciting mission and tell us what we can expect.