Asteroid

NASA's Newly Arrived OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Already Discovers Water on Asteroid

Retrieved on: 
Montag, Dezember 10, 2018
Planetary science, Spacecraft, Outer space, New Frontiers program, OSIRIS-REx, Planetary defense, 101955 Bennu, Asteroid, Bennu

During this time, the science team on Earth aimed three of the spacecraft's instruments towards Bennu and began making the mission's first scientific observations of the asteroid.

Key Points: 
  • During this time, the science team on Earth aimed three of the spacecraft's instruments towards Bennu and began making the mission's first scientific observations of the asteroid.
  • The team suspects that these hydroxyl groups exist globally across the asteroid in water-bearing clay minerals, meaning that at some point, Bennu's rocky material interacted with water.
  • While Bennu itself is too small to have ever hosted liquid water, the finding does indicate that liquid water was present at some time on Bennu's parent body, a much larger asteroid.
  • "Our initial data show that the team picked the right asteroid as the target of the OSIRIS-REx mission.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Arrives at Asteroid Bennu

Retrieved on: 
Montag, Dezember 3, 2018
Planetary science, Spacecraft, Planetary defense, Outer space, New Frontiers program, OSIRIS-REx, 101955 Bennu, Asteroid

The spacecraft executed a maneuver that transitioned it from flying toward Bennu to operating around the asteroid.

Key Points: 
  • The spacecraft executed a maneuver that transitioned it from flying toward Bennu to operating around the asteroid.
  • The mission's navigation team will use the preliminary survey of Bennu to practice the delicate task of navigating around the asteroid.
  • The spacecraft will enter orbit around Bennu on Dec. 31 --thus making Bennu, which is only about 1,600 feet (492 meters) across -- or about the length of five football fields -- the smallest object ever orbited by a spacecraft.
  • Starting in October, OSIRIS-REx performed a series of braking maneuvers to slow the spacecraft down as it approached Bennu.

NASA Provides Live Coverage of Spacecraft Arrival at Asteroid Bennu

Retrieved on: 
Mittwoch, November 28, 2018
Spacecraft, Planetary defense, Spaceflight, Outer space, New Frontiers program, OSIRIS-REx, Sample-return mission, NASA, Asteroid, Meanings of minor planet names: 134001–135000

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous with its targeted asteroid, Bennu, on Monday, Dec. 3 at approximately noon EST.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous with its targeted asteroid, Bennu, on Monday, Dec. 3 at approximately noon EST.
  • NASA will air a live event from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. EST to highlight the arrival of the agency's first asteroid sample return mission.
  • The program will originate from OSIRIS-REx's mission control at the Lockheed Martin Space facility in Littleton, Colorado, and will air on NASA Television, Facebook Live , Ustream , YouTube and the agency's website .
  • NASA TV also will air an arrival preview program starting at 11:15 a.m. EST.

NASA OSIRIS-REx Flexes its "Arm" Before Arriving at Asteroid Bennu

Retrieved on: 
Freitag, November 16, 2018
Planetary science, Spacecraft, Outer space, New Frontiers program, OSIRIS-REx, Planetary defense, 101955 Bennu, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Planetary surface, Asteroid, Meanings of minor planet names: 121001–122000

The maneuver demonstrates that TAGSAM is ready to collect surface material (regolith) from Bennu.

Key Points: 
  • The maneuver demonstrates that TAGSAM is ready to collect surface material (regolith) from Bennu.
  • "This was a very important milestone in checking out the hardware required to collect an asteroid sample."
  • The spacecraft is scheduled to reach Bennu on Dec. 3, 2018, and complete a survey of the asteroid over the next two years.
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt provides overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx.

NASA to Host Live Chat on Successful Mission to Asteroid Belt

Retrieved on: 
Mittwoch, September 5, 2018
Planetary science, Astronomy, Outer space, Minor planets, 4 Vesta, Ceres, Dawn, Discovery Program, Dwarf planet, Asteroid, Planet, NASA

The event will air live on NASA Television, Facebook Live , Ustream , YouTube and the agency's website .

Key Points: 
  • The event will air live on NASA Television, Facebook Live , Ustream , YouTube and the agency's website .
  • NASA launched Dawn in 2007 to learn more about the beginning of the solar system.
  • During its mission, the spacecraft studied the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres , celestial bodies believed to have formed early in the history of the solar system.
  • The mission aided scientists in characterizing the early solar system and the processes that dominated its formation.

NASA to Host Media Briefing on Mission to Return Asteroid Sample to Earth

Retrieved on: 
Montag, August 20, 2018
Planetary defense, Planetary science, Spacecraft, Spaceflight, OSIRIS-REx, 101955 Bennu, Asteroid, Near-Earth object, NEAR Shoemaker, NASA, New Frontiers program

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 24, to provide an update on upcoming activities related to the agency's first mission to return a sample of an asteroid to Earth.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 24, to provide an update on upcoming activities related to the agency's first mission to return a sample of an asteroid to Earth.
  • TheOrigins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer(OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft, which launched on Sept. 8, 2016, started asteroid science operations last week, began imaging asteroid Bennu for the first time, and is now preparing to conduct the necessary approach maneuvers to rendezvous with Bennu on Dec. 3.
  • The mission represents a valuable opportunity to learn more about the origins of our solar system, the sources of water and organic molecules on Earth, and the hazards and resources in near-Earth space.
  • Audio of the teleconference will be streamed at: