About OSIRIS-REx
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission marks the first time Canada is participating in an asteroid sample return. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is currently travelling to asteroid Bennu, where its Canadian lidar instrument will create a 3D map to help scientists select a sample site.
Taking a closer look at carbon-rich Bennu may help answer questions about how our solar system formed and how life on Earth began.
- Launch:
- Status:
- En route to Bennu
- Approach phase begins:
- Arrival:
An overview of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
Mission objectives
The OSIRIS-REx mission was designed to:
- map asteroid Bennu
- document the sample site
- measure the asteroid's orbit and factors which influence it
- compare observations at the asteroid to those made from Earth
- return a sample of Bennu's surface to Earth for analysis
This animation provides an overview of how the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will study asteroid Bennu, collect a sample and return it to Earth. Canada's OLA instrument can been seen firing an orange beam at 0:29. (Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)
Canada's role
Canada is contributing technical and scientific expertise to the OSIRIS-REx mission. The Canadian Space Agency is providing OLA (OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter), a lidar system able to scan the asteroid from up to 7 km away, and supporting:
- scientists and engineers on OLA's development and operations team
- scientists from Canadian institutions who are part of the broader OSIRIS-REx science team
How the mission works
The seven-year mission consists of several phases:
- launch, gravity assist with Earth, outbound cruise to Bennu
Following its launch in , the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft orbited the Sun for one year, then used Earth's gravity to change its orbit and help put it on course to asteroid Bennu.
The spacecraft will begin the asteroid approach phase in . The spacecraft will then fire its rocket thrusters to adjust its speed and trajectory for a rendezvous with asteroid Bennu in December.
- asteroid mapping
OLA will spend approximately one year mapping Bennu's surface. Mission scientists will then use this information to choose a location for the spacecraft to sample.
- sample acquisition
OSIRIS-REx will lower itself down towards the surface, extend its robotic arm, and release a burst of nitrogen gas to stir up dust and gravel. The sampling module will then collect 60 to 2,000 grams of material.
- return cruise and re-entry
OSIRIS-REx will then make its way back toward Earth. Its sample-return capsule will separate from the spacecraft and touch down in the Utah desert in .
Artist's concept of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft approaching Bennu. Without landing, the robotic arm on board will collect a sample that will be returned to Earth. (Credit: NASA/NGSFC/UA)
About the spacecraft
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was assembled by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. It is about the size of an SUV and includes five science instruments that will scan the asteroid in visible, infrared, and X-ray wavelengths.
When its solar panels are deployed, OSIRIS-REx can generate up to 3,000 watts of power. Although OLA contains approximately 4,000 mechanical parts and 3,000 electrical parts, the sophisticated instrument uses only 75W – similar to a lightbulb!
OSIRIS-REx's Sample Return Capsule is equipped with a heat shield and parachutes to keep the asteroid sample intact as it enters Earth's atmosphere and to ensure a soft landing.
Data sheet
| Length | 6.2 m with solar panels deployed |
|---|---|
| Width | 2.4 m × 2.4 m |
| Height | 3.2 m |
| Length of sampling arm | 3.4 m |
| Dry mass (unfuelled) | 880 kg |
| Wet mass (fuelled) | 2,110 kg |
Mission partners
- NASA
- University of Arizona, including Principal Investigator Dr. Dante S. Lauretta
- Lockheed Martin Space Systems
International partners:
- Canadian Space Agency
- France's Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES)
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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