Osiris-Rex
South Korea cancels Apophis probe
Citing a “lack of technical capabilities,” South Korea has dropped the plan of developing a robotic spacecraft to escort asteroid Apophis during its 2029 close encounter with Earth.
NASA to repurpose OSIRIS-REx for second asteroid encounter
A NASA mission to return samples from one near Earth asteroid will get an extended mission to visit a second asteroid under a plan approved by the agency April 25.
OSIRIS-REx to make final close approach to asteroid before heading back to Earth
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will make one final close approach to the asteroid it collected samples from next week before heading back to Earth.
OSIRIS-REx safely stores asteroid sample
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has secured material it collected from the asteroid Bennu into a sample return capsule, a process the mission accelerated after images showed material leaking into space.
Asteroid samples leaking from OSIRIS-REx
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected so much material from the surface of the asteroid Bennu that the lid of its sampling head is jammed open, causing material to leak out and changing the agency’s plans for the mission.
NASA confident OSIRIS-REx collected asteroid samples
The leaders of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission are confident that the spacecraft collected material from the surface of the asteroid Bennu during a touch-and-go (TAG) maneuver Oct. 20.
OSIRIS-REx touches down on asteroid
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly touched down on the surface of the asteroid Bennu Oct. 20, but it may be several days before project scientists know how much material the probe collected for return to Earth.
NASA selects OSIRIS-REx asteroid sampling site
NASA announced Dec. 12 that it has selected the site on a near Earth asteroid where a spacecraft will touch down and collect samples, a task that has become more difficult than mission planners originally expected.
Atlas 5 launches NASA asteroid sample return mission
An Atlas 5 successfully launched a NASA mission to visit a near Earth asteroid and return samples of it to Earth Sept.8.
OSIRIS-REx cleared for Thursday launch
NASA managers have given their approval for the launch Sept. 8 of an Atlas 5 carrying a spacecraft that will travel to a nearby asteroid, collect samples and return them to Earth.
