OSIRIS-REx mission timeline

Overview of the mission's important dates and upcoming events
Date	Description
September 8, 2016	Launch OSIRIS-REx launches at 7:05 pm ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on an Atlas V rocket.
September 22, 2017	Gravity assist with Earth After a year orbiting the Sun, OSIRIS-REx receives a "nudge" from Earth's gravity, sending it on its path to asteroid Bennu.
August 17, 2018	Approach phase begins About two million kilometres away from the asteroid, the spacecraft begins its approach phase. OSIRIS-REx sends its first pictures of Bennu back to Earth.
December 2018 to May 2020	OSIRIS-REx surveys Bennu OSIRIS-REx arrives at Bennu. The spacecraft's instruments survey the asteroid, creating a 3D map of its surface features and shape.
May 2020 to October 2020	Sample rehearsal The spacecraft performs flight paths designed to ensure that it can reach the sampling site safely. OSIRIS-REx rehearses its sampling manoeuvres.
October 2020	OSIRIS-REx samples Bennu OSIRIS-REx deploys its Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), which touches down briefly on Bennu's surface and collects a sample. The collected material is safely stored in the Sample Return Capsule.
March 2021	Return cruise The spacecraft begins its journey back to Earth.
September 24, 2023	Sample delivery to Earth Just outside Earth's atmosphere, OSIRIS-REx releases the Sample Return Capsule for touchdown in the Utah Test and Training Range. The spacecraft sends itself into a stable orbit around the Sun.

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