About the OSIRIS-REx Mission
Exploring Our Past, Securing Our Future

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will travel to a near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (101955) Bennu, study it in detail, and bring back a sample (at least 60 grams or 2.1 ounces) to Earth.

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.

Download the OSIRIS-REx mission information sheet! (Also available in Spanish!)

Want to learn more about the OSIRIS-REx mission? Read the answers to some of our most Frequently Asked Questions here!
About the OSIRIS-REx Mission
Science Objectives

The science objectives of the mission define the questions we want to ask about the asteroid and the information we want to learn through sampling, mapping and measuring it.

 

The major science objectives include:

  • Return and Analyze a Sample.
  • Create Maps of the Asteroid.
  • Document the Sample Site.
  • Measure the Orbit Deviations.
  • Compare to Telescope Observations.

 

To learn more about the OSIRIS-REx mission read our most Frequently Asked Questions here!

News

OSIRIS-REx is Good to Go!
May 16, 2013

OSIRIS-REx, NASA's asteroid sample return mission, reached a major milestone on May15, 2013: the mission passed the Agency level confirmation review called Key Decision Point-C or KDP-C. KDP-C authorized continuation of the project into the development phase giving the team the authority to proceed with development and launch in 2016.

"Successfully passing KDP-C is a major milestone for the project," said Mike Donnelly, OSIRIS-REx project manager for NASA's Goddard...

View our most recent news items by visiting the news archive here!