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

Dante Lauretta with OSIRIS-REx payload fairing

OSIRIS-REx principal investigator Dante Lauretta poses in front of the payload fairing. He has been working on this project since 2004 and said he is excited for the launch.

Rex Englelhardt and OSIRIS-REx

Rex Englelhardt, mission manager for NASA's Launch Services Program, has been leading the team that services the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and fairing

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was encapsulated in its payload fairing on Aug. 24, 2016.

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

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]

Potentially Dangerous Asteroid Bennu

This radar image of potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu (previously known as1999 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.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and Bennu Asteroid

This is an artist's concept of NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft preparing to take a sample from asteroid Bennu.

Conceptual Image of OSIRIS-REx

Conceptual image of OSIRIS-REx.

OSIRIS-REx at Kennedy Space Center

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft's protective cover is removed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Orbit of Asteroid Bennu

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

OSIRIS-REx path visualization

A visualization with the open-source program OpenSpace illustrates the complex path NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will take to asteroid Bennu.