OSIRIS-REx

8 Stories

NASA Hits the Jackpot on Its 'Rubble Return Goal'

OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned double the expected samples from asteroid Bennu

(Newser) - NASA finally has counted up all the asteroid samples returned by a spacecraft last fall—and it's double the rubble return goal. Officials reported Thursday that the Osiris-Rex spacecraft collected 4.29 ounces of dust and pebbles from asteroid Bennu. That's just over half a cup and the...

NASA Finally Unlocks Its Asteroid Sample
OSIRIS-REx Reveals
a 'Treasure Trove'
Jan 24, 2024 12:51 PM CST

OSIRIS-REx Reveals a 'Treasure Trove'

NASA finally unlocks long-sought asteroid sample, with some decent-sized rocks

(Newser) - After months of painstaking effort, the last two screws have finally been removed from the end of OSIRIS-REx's articulated arm, which grabbed a sample of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu as part of a $1 billion NASA mission, allowing scientists to look inside. They found a "treasure trove of...

OSIRIS-REx Is Jammed
OSIRIS-REx Is Jammed
Oct 24, 2023 8:17 AM CDT

OSIRIS-REx Is Jammed

NASA struggles to open container holding large sample from asteroid Bennu

(Newser) - OSIRIS-REx delivered the largest-ever asteroid sample to Earth, with a major catch. The container holding the sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu can't be opened. Teams at NASA's Johnson Space Center have been trying to open the round head at the end of OSIRIS-REx's articulated arm, called...

Chunk of Asteroid That Could Take Chunk Out of Earth Nears

OSIRIS-REx's sample from near-Earth asteroid Bennu to arrive in Utah on Sunday

(Newser) - There's a 1 in 2,700 chance that an asteroid known for its close flybys of Earth could smack into the planet in the next 160 years or so, which isn't very reassuring. NASA hopes, however, that the upcoming conclusion of a seven-year mission to retrieve samples from...

Odds of Asteroid Hitting Earth Inch Higher
Odds on Asteroid
Hit Going Up
Aug 12, 2021 9:20 AM CDT

Odds on Asteroid Hit Going Up

It's still very unlikely Bennu will strike in the next century

(Newser) - The good news is that scientists have a better handle on asteroid Bennu's whereabouts for the next 200 years. The bad news is that the space rock considered one of the two most hazardous known asteroids in our solar system has a slightly greater chance of clobbering Earth than...

NASA Heads for a 'Historic First'
NASA Heads for
a 'Historic First' 
Oct 20, 2020 7:17 AM CDT

NASA Heads for a 'Historic First'

OSIRIS-REx will attempt to grab sample from asteroid Bennu

(Newser) - NASA is finally ready to snatch at an asteroid. After two years of orbiting the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, as tall as the Empire State Building, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will touch down Tuesday in the first US attempt to gather asteroid samples. Over 4.5 hours, the SUV-sized spacecraft will...

Spacecraft Captures Awesome Shot of Earth
This Awesome Shot
of Earth Was Taken
From 70M Miles Away
in case you missed it
Jan 13, 2019 9:17 AM CST

This Awesome Shot of Earth Was Taken From 70M Miles Away

NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft took the picture before going into orbit around asteroid

(Newser) - An asteroid-circling spacecraft has captured a cool snapshot of home. NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft took the picture days before going into orbit around asteroid Bennu on New Year's Eve, the AP reports. The tiny asteroid—barely one-third of a mile across—appears as a big bright blob in the...

NASA May Send Probe to Earthbound Asteroid

Rock may hit planet ... in 2182

(Newser) - Somebody call Bruce Willis, because NASA is considering landing a probe on an asteroid that’s hurtling toward Earth. Sounds exciting, right? Well, don’t run for your fallout shelter yet. There’s only a 1-in-1,000 chance the asteroid will hit, and if it does, it won’t happen...

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