Photos: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx, asteroid Bennu, and other sights from the spacecraft’s journey through our solar system
OSIRIS-REx descends on Bennu
In the days ahead, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will descend on asteroid Bennu to collect a sample of its surface in what the space agency is calling a Touch-And-Go (TAG). If successful, the craft could return the largest sample recovery since the Apollo era, according to NASA. The collected material will return to Earth in Sept. of 2023 and could provide invaluable insights about the formation of our solar system, the origins of life, and more. Here are photos of OSIRIS-REx, asteroid Bennu, and other images the spacecraft has snapped along its multi-billion mile journey.
Image: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Lockheed Martin
Map of Bennu
This mosaic global map of Bennu was created using more than 2,100 images collected from March 7 to April 19, 2019. All of these images were snapped by OSIRIS-REx’s onboard PolyCam.
This photo shows the Nightingale sample site where the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will attempt its TAG sample collection. NASA included an OSIRIS-REx graphic for scale.
OSIRIS-REx’s PolyCam snapped this photo of Jupiter and several of its moons. At the time, the spacecraft was more than 400 miles from the largest planet in our solar system.
In this photo, OSIRIS-REx is spun for what NASA described as a “weight and center of gravity test” at the space agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility.
R. Dallon Adams is a journalist originally from Louisville, Kentucky. His previous work includes a wide spectrum of beats and formats ranging from tech-savvy urban planning initiatives to hands-on gadget reviews.