OSIRIS-REx: NASA's Asteroid Sample-Return Mission in Pictures

OSIRIS-REx View of Asteroid Bennu

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

The near-Earth asteroid Bennu, as seen by NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe on Dec. 2, 2018.

Bennu

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

The south polar region of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, photographed by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe on Dec. 17, 2018. OSIRIS-REx entered orbit around Bennu two weeks later.

bennu

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Lockheed Martin

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured these images of Bennu's south pole on Jan. 17.

Bennu animation

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Lockheed Martin Space

This still image of the asteroid Bennu comes from an animation of pictures taken by the NavCam 1 instrument on NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, showing the spacecraft's asteroid view from Nov. 30, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2018.

OSIRIS-REx View of Bennu

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured this photo of the asteroid Bennu on Nov. 16, 2018, from a distance of 85 miles (136 kilometers). OSIRIS-REx arrived at the space rock on Dec. 3.

Bennu OSIRIS-REx

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

The near-Earth asteroid Bennu, as seen by NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe on Nov. 2, 2018, from a distance of about 122 miles (197 kilometers). OSIRIS-REx is scheduled to arrive at Bennu on Dec. 3.

OSIRIS-REx Approach Bennu

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

An artist’s illustration of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft approaching the asteroid Bennu.

Bennu

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Lockheed Martin Space

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured this shot of the Earth and moon (left) and the asteroid Bennu (right) on Dec. 19, 2018. At the time, OSIRIS-REx was 71 million miles (114 million kilometers) from Earth and 27 miles (43 km) from Bennu.

Asteroid Bennu

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

On Aug. 17, 2018, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft obtained its first images of its target, the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. OSIRIS-REx was about 1.4 million miles (2.2 million kilometers) from Bennu at the time.

OSIRIS-REx Earth-Flyby Photo

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona

NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling spacecraft captured this photo of Earth on Sept. 22, 2017, shortly after performing a speed-boosting flyby of our planet.

Sampling an Asteroid

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona

NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid mission launched in 2016 to collect samples of the asteroid Bennu and return them to Earth. See photos from the mission here.

On Sept. 22, 2017, OSIRIS-REx will fly by Earth in a gravity assist maneuver (shown here in an artist's illustration) to accelerate it on its way to Bennu.

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