OSIRIS-REx
Encyclopedia
Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) is a planetary science mission, the third selected in the New Frontiers Program
. The mission will study and return a sample of a carbonaceous asteroid
to Earth for detailed analyses in about 2023. Material returned is expected to enable scientists to learn more about the time before the birth of our solar system, initial stages of planet formation, and the source of organic compounds which led to the formation of life. The team planning the mission will be staffed by a multi-generational team due to the long duration of the program. The cost of the mission will be approximately $800 million not including the launch vehicle which is expected to add an additional $200 million to the total.
's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
, NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center
and Lockheed Martin Space Systems
, is planned for launch in 2016. After traveling for approximately three years, the spacecraft will rendezvous with asteroid 1999 RQ36 and begin six months of surface mapping at a distance of approximately 3 miles (4.8 km). Results of that study will be used by the mission team to select the sample site and the gradual process of approaching, but not landing, and ultimately extending a pogo stick
-like sample arm to gather the sample.
An asteroid was chosen as the target of study because asteroids are a "time capsule from the birth of our solar system" according to Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate
. 1999 RQ36 was selected because of the availability of pristine carbonaceous
material, a key element in organic molecules necessary for life as well as representative of matter from before the formation of Earth. Organic molecules have previously been found in meteorite and comet samples, indicating that some ingredients necessary for life can be created in space.
Following collection (from 60 grams to 2 kilograms, or 2.1 oz to 4.4 lb), the sample will be returned to Earth in a capsule similar to that which returned the samples of comet 81P/Wild
on the Stardust spacecraft
. The return trip to Earth will be shorter, allowing the sample to return and land at the Utah Test and Training Range
in 2023. The capsule will then be transported to the Johnson Space Center for processing by a dedicated research facility.
New Frontiers program
The New Frontiers program is a series of space exploration missions being conducted by NASA with the purpose of researching several of the Sun's planets including Jupiter, Venus, and the dwarf planet Pluto...
. The mission will study and return a sample of a carbonaceous asteroid
C-type asteroid
C-type asteroids are carbonaceous asteroids. They are the most common variety, forming around 75% of known asteroids, and an even higher percentage in the outer part of the asteroid belt beyond 2.7 AU, which is dominated by this asteroid type...
to Earth for detailed analyses in about 2023. Material returned is expected to enable scientists to learn more about the time before the birth of our solar system, initial stages of planet formation, and the source of organic compounds which led to the formation of life. The team planning the mission will be staffed by a multi-generational team due to the long duration of the program. The cost of the mission will be approximately $800 million not including the launch vehicle which is expected to add an additional $200 million to the total.
Mission
The mission, developed by the University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory is a research center for planetary science located in Tucson, Arizona. It is also a graduate school, constituting the Department of Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona...
, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center. GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors, and is located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. GSFC,...
and Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company is one of the four major business divisions of Lockheed Martin. It is headquartered in Denver, Colorado with additional sites in Sunnyvale, California; Newtown, Pennsylvania; Huntsville, Alabama; and elsewhere in the US and UK...
, is planned for launch in 2016. After traveling for approximately three years, the spacecraft will rendezvous with asteroid 1999 RQ36 and begin six months of surface mapping at a distance of approximately 3 miles (4.8 km). Results of that study will be used by the mission team to select the sample site and the gradual process of approaching, but not landing, and ultimately extending a pogo stick
Pogo stick
A pogo stick is a device for jumping off the ground in a standing position with the aid of a spring, used as a toy or exercise equipment. It consists of a pole with a handle at the top and footrests near the bottom, and a spring located somewhere along the pole...
-like sample arm to gather the sample.
An asteroid was chosen as the target of study because asteroids are a "time capsule from the birth of our solar system" according to Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate
Science Mission Directorate
The Science Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration engages the United States’ science community, sponsors scientific research, and develops and deploys satellites and probes in collaboration with NASA’s partners around the world to answer fundamental questions...
. 1999 RQ36 was selected because of the availability of pristine carbonaceous
Carbonaceous
Carbonaceous is the defining attribute of a substance rich in carbon. Particularly, carbonaceous hydrocarbons are very unsaturated, high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, having an elevated carbon:hydrogen ratio....
material, a key element in organic molecules necessary for life as well as representative of matter from before the formation of Earth. Organic molecules have previously been found in meteorite and comet samples, indicating that some ingredients necessary for life can be created in space.
Following collection (from 60 grams to 2 kilograms, or 2.1 oz to 4.4 lb), the sample will be returned to Earth in a capsule similar to that which returned the samples of comet 81P/Wild
81P/Wild
Comet 81P/Wild, also known as Wild 2 , is a comet named after Swiss astronomer Paul Wild, who discovered it in 1978 using a 40-cm Schmidt telescope at Zimmerwald....
on the Stardust spacecraft
Stardust (spacecraft)
Stardust is a 300-kilogram robotic space probe launched by NASA on February 7, 1999 to study the asteroid 5535 Annefrank and collect samples from the coma of comet Wild 2. The primary mission was completed January 15, 2006, when the sample return capsule returned to Earth...
. The return trip to Earth will be shorter, allowing the sample to return and land at the Utah Test and Training Range
Utah Test and Training Range
The Utah Test and Training Range is a military testing and training area located in Utah's West Desert, approximately west of Salt Lake City, Utah. UTTR is currently the largest overland contiguous block of supersonic authorized restricted airspace in the continental United States...
in 2023. The capsule will then be transported to the Johnson Space Center for processing by a dedicated research facility.