But the mission’s main goal is for OSIRIS-REx to “kiss” the asteroid’s surface, suck up a small container of material and bring it back to scientists on Earth.
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Osiris was an Egyptian god; Osiris-Rex is an acronym for origins, spectral interpretation, resource identification, security-regolith explorer. For two years it will chase the asteroid. “It’s not every day you get to see that type of rocket take off”, said Justin Goodman, a student in the earth and space exploration program at ASU. If all goes as planned after today’s launch, the spacecraft will reach Bennu in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023. Depending on exactly what OSIRIS-Rex finds though, this could still be a very important clue to how the first living organisms on earth did start to develop.
Atlas V has a two-hour window beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET on Thursday to launch NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, beginning a years-long mission that will target near-Earth asteroid Bennu and end in the deserts of Utah.
Scientists believe Bennu is covered with organic compounds dating back to the earliest days of the solar system.
Scientists have previously studied pieces of asteroids for decades in the form of meteorites, but all of them were quickly contaminated when they fell to Earth, Lauretta said, noting that the sample returned from a primitive asteroid would enable precise analyses that can’t be duplicated on the ground.
Osiris-Rex launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 8:04 pm last night.
Nasa said that the spacecraft has already deployed its solar arrays, which are powering it. “We’ve built an wonderful spacecraft, we’ve launched it, and it’s on the way to Bennu”, said NASA’s Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan.
“I think we are going to get to Mars in my lifetime and I think the U of A is going to play a lead role in many of those missions”, said Armstrong. The solar-powered spacecraft will then fly to Bennu’s surface and extend a robot arm to collect at least 2 ounces (60 grams) of what scientists hope will be carbon-rich material.
The OSIRIS-REx mission will be the first USA mission to carry samples from an asteroid back to Earth and the largest sample returned from space since the Apollo era.
Nasa’s Goddard centre is providing overall mission management, systems engineering and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx.
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The spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, but some of its essential components were designed and built right here in Arizona. Luckily, the explosion was at a location down the road from NASA’s launch pad for the asteroid mission, so the agency didn’t face any delays.
