Osiris-Rex: NASA's Asteroid Sample-Return Mission in Pictures

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Artist interpretation of OSIRIS-REx

Credit: NASA/Goddard University

An artist's interpretation of NASA's asteroid-sample mission OSIRIS-REx, which will rendezvous with the near-Earth asteroid designated 1999 RQ36 in 2020. The mission is expected to launch in 2016.

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OSIRIS-REx at Asteroid 1999 RQ36

Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

An artist's concept of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft near asteroid 1999 RQ36.

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How NASA's Asteroid Sample Return Mission Will Work (Infographic)

Credit: Karl Tate/SPACE.com

See how NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission to collect samples of the asteroid 1999 RQ36 will happen in this SPACE.com infographic. [See the full Infographic here]

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Potentially Dangerous Asteroid 1999 RQ36

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This radar image of potentially hazardous asteroid 1999 RQ36 — the target of NASA's Osiris-Rex sample-return mission — was obtained by NASA's Deep Space Network antenna in Goldstone, Calif. on Sept 23, 1999.

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Conceptual Image of OSIRIS-REx

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

Conceptual image of OSIRIS-REx.

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NASA’s Osiris-Rex Next to a Person

Credit: UA/OSIRIS-REX Mission

This image shows how large NASA’s Osiris-Rex asteroid sampling spacecraft is compared to a person.

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Orbit of Asteroid 1999 RQ36

Credit: UA/OSIRIS-REX Mission

This graphic depicts the orbits of asteroid 1999 RQ36 and the terrestrial planets in our solar system. The asteroid is the target of NASA’s Osiris-Rex sample-return mission.

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Criteria for Choosing Asteroid 1999 RQ36

Credit: UA/OSIRIS-REX Mission

This chart depicts the criteria for choosing asteroid 1999 RQ36 as the target asteroid for NASA’s Osiris-Rex mission.

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Osiris Rex Instruments

Credit: UA/OSIRIS-REX Mission

This graphic whose the location of science instruments on NASA’s Osiris-Rex asteroid sample-return mission.

Osiris-Rex: NASA's Asteroid Sample-Return Mission in Pictures

Artist interpretation of OSIRIS-REx

OSIRIS-REx at Asteroid 1999 RQ36

How NASA's Asteroid Sample Return Mission Will Work (Infographic)

Potentially Dangerous Asteroid 1999 RQ36

Conceptual Image of OSIRIS-REx

NASA’s Osiris-Rex Next to a Person

Orbit of Asteroid 1999 RQ36

Criteria for Choosing Asteroid 1999 RQ36

Osiris Rex Instruments

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