Asteroid Bennu – Page 3 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Solar arrays attached to asteroid-bound OSIRIS-REx spacecraft

August 12, 2016 Justin Ray

At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, workers have finished the pre-launch assembly and fueling of OSIRIS-REx for the asteroid sample return spacecraft for liftoff Sept. 8.

Buildup of unusual launcher begins for NASA’s asteroid sample return mission

August 8, 2016 Justin Ray

It is a rocket like no other, a vehicle with a single solid-fuel booster mounted to its side, that will launch NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe next month to bring back a sample of Asteroid Bennu.

Video: Asteroid sampler craft delivered to launch site

May 24, 2016 Justin Ray

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx, the spacecraft that will grab a piece of Asteroid Bennu and return it to Earth, shipped to Kennedy Space Center from the Lockheed Martin production facilities in Denver on May 20 aboard an Air Force C-17.

NASA probe that will make round trip to asteroid and back sent to launch base

May 20, 2016 Justin Ray

Equipped with a robot arm, sample collector and return capsule, NASA’s asteroid-bound OSIRIS-REx probe emerged from its pristine factory and flew to the launch site in Florida on Friday.