OSIRIS-REx
About
Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer
OSIRIS-REx launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Sept. 8, 2016. It arrived at Bennu on Dec. 3, 2018, and began orbiting the asteroid Bennu for the first time on Dec. 31, 2018. On October 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx made history for NASA when it tagged the surface of asteroid Bennu for 4.7 seconds, triggering a flush of nitrogen gas and collecting the largest sample of extraterrestrial material since the Apollo moon landings. In preparation for the sample collection, the spacecraft had spent two years photographing and mapping the asteroid in tremendous detail. The spacecraft successfully dropped its sample return capsule to return to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023.
The OSIRIS-REx mission seeks answers to questions that are central to the human experience: Where did we come from? What is our destiny? OSIRIS-REx is going to Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid that records the earliest history of our Solar System, and bringing a piece of it back to Earth. Bennu may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life and the Earth’s oceans. Bennu is also one of the most potentially hazardous asteroids. It has a relatively high probability of impacting the Earth late in the 22nd century. OSIRIS-REx will determine Bennu’s physical and chemical properties. This will be critical for future scientists to know when developing an impact mitigation mission. Finally, asteroids like Bennu contain natural resources such as water, organics, and precious metals. Future space exploration and economic development will rely on asteroids for these precious materials. Asteroids may one day fuel the exploration of the Solar System by robotic and manned spacecraft.
Faculty
OSIRIS-REx Faculty
Erik Asphaug
Professor
Jessica Barnes
Assistant Professor
William Boynton
Professor Emeritus
Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina
Assistant Professor, Deputy Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-REx, Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-APEX
Pierre Haenecour
Assistant Professor
Ellen Howell
Research Professor
Dante Lauretta
Director, Arizona Astrobiology Center, Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-REx, Regents Professor
Renu Malhotra
Louise Foucar Marshall Science Research Professor, Regents Professor
Michael Nolan
Deputy Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-APEX, Research Professor
Peter Smith
Professor Emeritus
Timothy Swindle
Professor Emeritus
Tom Zega
Professor
Other Researchers
OSIRIS-REx Faculty
Laura Chaves
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Matthew Chojnacki
DCC Associate Research (McEwen)
Ruby Fulford
PTYS Graduate Student
Dathon Golish
Mission Instrument and Observation Scientist
Kana Ishimaru
PTYS Graduate Student
Robert Melikyan
PTYS Graduate Student
Beau Prince
PTYS Graduate Student
Bashar Rizk
Research Scientist/Senior Staff Scientist, OSIRIS-REx/OCAMS
Andrew Ryan
Researcher/Scientist, OSIRIS-REx
Stephen Schwartz
DCC Associate Staff Scientist (Asphaug)
Sarah Sutton
Photogrammetry Program Lead, HiRISE, Researcher/Scientist
Harry Tang
PTYS Graduate Student
Support Staff
OSIRIS-REx Faculty
Kris Becker
Senior Data Analyst, OSIRIS-REx
Carina Bennett
Project Manager and Software Engineer, SAMIS
Denise Blum
Business Manager, OSIRIS-REx
Christian d'Aubigny
DCC Deputy Instrument Scientist, OCAMS (Byrne)
Tony Ferro
System Administrator, OSIRIS-REx/SPOC
Michael Fitzgibbon
Software Engineer, Lead Calibration & Validation, OSIRIS-REx
Damian Hammond
Software Engineer, OSIRIS-REx Telemetry Processing
Karl Harshman
Manager, OSIRIS-REx/SPOC
Dolores Hill
Research Specialist, Senior
Joshua Kantarges
SAMIS Software Engineer, OSIRIS-REx
Sara Knutson
Lead Engineer, Science Operations, OSIRIS-REx
Anjani Polit
Deputy Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-APEX
Heather Roper
Media Specialist, Senior
Mathilde Westermann
Lead GIS Development Engineer, OSIRIS-REx
Catherine Wolner
Editor, OSIRIS-REx