OSIRIS-REx
OSIRIS-APEX

Artist's rendering of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft

Names| OSIRIS-REx
OSIRIS-APEX
Mission type| Asteroid sample return[1]
Operator| NASA / Lockheed Martin
COSPAR ID| 2016-055A
SATCAT no.| 41757
Website| www.asteroidmission.org
Mission duration| 7 years (planned)
889 days at asteroid (actual)
9 years, 11 months, 4 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer| Lockheed Martin
Launch mass| 2,110 kg (4,650 lb)[2]
Dry mass| 880 kg (1,940 lb)
Dimensions| 2.44 × 2.44 × 3.15 m (8 ft 0 in × 8 ft 0 in × 10 ft 4 in)
Power| 1226 to 3000 watts
Start of mission
Launch date| 8 September 2016, 23:05 UTC[3]
Rocket| Atlas V 411 (AV-067)
Launch site| Cape Canaveral SLC-41
Contractor| United Launch Alliance (ULA)
End of mission
Disposal| Sample Return Capsule: Recovered
Landing date| Sample Return Capsule: 24 September 2023, 14:52 UTC[4]
Landing site| Utah Test and Training Range[4]
Orbital parameters
Reference system| Bennu-centric
Altitude| 0.68–2.1 km (0.42–1.30 mi)[5][6]
Period| 22–62 hours[7][6]
Flyby of Earth
Closest approach| 22 September 2017[2][8]
Distance| 17,237 km (10,711 mi)
Bennu orbiter
Orbital insertion| 31 December 2018[9]
(Rendezvous: 3 December 2018)
Orbital departure| 10 May 2021[10]
Sample mass| ~121.6 g (4.29 oz)[11][12]
Bennu lander
Landing date| 20 October 2020, 22:13 (2026-08-12UTC10:59:25) UTC
Landing site| "Nightingale"
Flyby of Bennu
Closest approach| 7 April 2021[13]
Distance| 3.5 km (2.2 mi)
| Instruments

OCAMS| OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite
OLA| OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter
OTES| OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer
OVIRS| OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer
REXIS| Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer
TAGSAM| Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism

OSIRIS-REx mission logo

New Frontiers

<- Juno

Dragonfly ->

OSIRIS-REx in Launch Configuration

OSIRIS-REx[lower-alpha 1] was a NASA asteroid-study and sample-return mission that visited and collected samples from 101955 Bennu, a carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid.[14] The material, returned in September 2023, is expected to enable scientists to learn more about the formation and evolution of the Solar System, its initial stages of planet formation, and the source of organic compounds that led to the formation of life on Earth.[15] Following the completion of the primary OSIRIS-REx (Regolith Explorer) mission, the spacecraft, renamed as OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer), began a follow-up mission to asteroid 99942 Apophis.[16]

OSIRIS-REx was launched on September 8, 2016, flew past Earth on 22 September 2017 and rendezvoused with Bennu on 3 December 2018.[17] It spent the next two years analyzing the surface to find a suitable site from which to extract a sample. On 20 October 2020, OSIRIS-REx touched down on Bennu and successfully collected a sample.[18][19][20][21] OSIRIS-REx left Bennu on 10 May 2021[22][23] and returned its sample to Earth on 24 September 2023,[24] subsequently starting its extended mission to study 99942 Apophis, where it will arrive in April 2029.

Bennu was chosen as the target of study because it is a "time capsule" from the birth of the Solar System.[25] Bennu has a very dark surface and is classified as a B-type asteroid, a sub-type of the carbonaceous C-type asteroids. Such asteroids are considered primitive, having undergone little geological change from their time of formation. In particular, Bennu 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, such as amino acids, have previously been found in meteorite and comet samples, indicating that some ingredients necessary for life can be naturally synthesized in outer space.[1]

The cost of the OSIRIS-REx mission is approximately US$800 million,[26] not including the Atlas V launch vehicle, which is about US$183.5 million.[27] The OSIRIS-APEX extended mission costs an additional US$200 million.[16] It is the third planetary science mission selected in the New Frontiers program, after Juno and New Horizons. The principal investigator is Dante Lauretta[28] from the University of Arizona, having taken over in 2011 after the original PI Michael Julian Drake died four months after the mission won approval from NASA.

OSIRIS-REx was the first United States spacecraft to return samples from an asteroid. Previous asteroid returns include the Japanese probes Hayabusa, which visited 25143 Itokawa in 2005,[29] and Hayabusa2, which visited 162173 Ryugu in June 2018.

## Contents

* 1 Mission
* 1.1 Launch
* 1.2 Cruise phase
* 1.3 Arrival and survey
* 1.4 Sample acquisition
* 1.4.1 Procedure
* 1.4.2 Operations
* 1.5 Sample return
* 2 Extended mission OSIRIS-APEX
* 3 Name
* 4 Science objectives
* 5 Specifications
* 6 Instruments
* 6.1 OCAMS
* 6.2 OVIRS
* 6.3 OTES
* 6.4 REXIS
* 6.5 OLA
* 6.6 TAGSAM
* 7 Cooperation with JAXA
* 8 OSIRIS-REx II
* 9 Gallery
* 10 See also
* 11 Notes
* 12 References
* 13 External links

## Mission

Overall management, engineering, and navigation for the OSIRIS missions are provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, while the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory provides principal science operations. Lockheed Martin Space Systems built the spacecraft and provides mission operations.[2] The science team includes members from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy.[30]

After traveling for approximately two years, the spacecraft rendezvoused with asteroid 101955 Bennu in December 2018,[31] and began 505 days of surface mapping at a distance of approximately 5 km (3.1 mi).[1] Results of that mapping were used by the mission team to select the site from which to take a sample of at least 60 g (2.1 oz) of material of the asteroid's surface.[32] Then a close approach (without landing) was carried out to allow extension of a robotic arm to gather the sample.[33]

Following the successful collection of material (121.6 grams (4.29 oz)),[11] the sample was returned to Earth in a 46 kg (101 lb) capsule similar to that which returned the samples of Comet 81P/Wild on the space probe Stardust. The return trip to Earth was shorter than the outbound trip. The capsule landed by parachute at the Utah Test and Training Range on 24 September 2023 and was transported to the Johnson Space Center for processing in a dedicated research facility.[1]

* Asteroid Bennu, imaged by the OSIRIS-REx probe, 3 December 2018

* OSIRIS-REx mission overview video

* OSIRIS-REx launch

### Launch

The launch was on 8 September 2016 at 23:05 UTC on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 from Cape Canaveral, Space Launch Complex 41.[3] The 411 rocket configuration consists of a RD-180 powered first stage with a single AJ-60A solid fuel booster, and a Centaur upper stage.[34] OSIRIS-REx separated from the launch vehicle 55 minutes after ignition.[2] The launch was declared "exactly perfect" by the mission's principal investigator, with no anomalies before or during launch.[35]

### Cruise phase

OSIRIS-REx entered the cruise phase shortly after separation from the launch vehicle, following successful solar panel deployment, propulsion system initiation, and establishment of a communication link with Earth.[35] Its hyperbolic escape speed from Earth was about 5.41 km/s (3.36 mi/s).[36] On 28 December 2016, the spacecraft successfully performed its first deep space maneuver to change its velocity by 431 m/s (1,550 km/h) using 354 kg (780 lb) of fuel.[37][38] An additional, smaller firing of its thrusters on 18 January 2017 further refined its course for an Earth gravity assist on 22 September 2017.[37] The cruise phase lasted until its encounter with Bennu in December 2018,[31] after which it entered its science and sample collection phase.[37]

During its cruise phase, OSIRIS-REx was used to search for a class of near-Earth objects known as Earth-Trojan asteroids as it passed through Sun–Earth L4 Lagrange point. Between 9 and 20 February 2017, the OSIRIS-REx team used the spacecraft's MapCam camera to search for the objects, taking about 135 survey images each day for processing by scientists at the University of Arizona. The search was beneficial even though no new trojans were found,[39] as it closely resembled the operation required as the spacecraft approached Bennu, searching for natural satellites and other potential hazards.[38][40] On 12 February 2017, while 673×10 ~~^~~ 6 km (418×10 ~~^~~ 6 mi) from Jupiter, the PolyCam instrument aboard OSIRIS-REx successfully imaged the giant planet and three of its moons, Callisto, Io, and Ganymede.[41]

OSIRIS-REx flew by Earth on 22 September 2017.[42]

### Arrival and survey

On 3 December 2018, NASA confirmed that OSIRIS-REx had matched the speed and orbit of Bennu at a distance of about 19 km (12 mi), effectively reaching the asteroid. OSIRIS-REx performed closer passes of the Bennu surface, initially at about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) through December to further refine the shape and orbit of Bennu. Preliminary spectroscopic surveys of the asteroid's surface by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft detected the presence of hydrated minerals in the form of clay. While researchers suspect that Bennu was too small to host water, the hydroxyl groups may have come from water present in its parent body before Bennu split off.[43][44]

OSIRIS-REx entered orbit around Bennu on 31 December 2018 at about 1.75 km (1.09 mi) to start its extensive remote mapping and sensing campaign for the selection of a sample site. This is the closest distance that any spacecraft has orbited a celestial object, closer than the Rosetta's orbit of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko at 7 km (4.3 mi).[17][45] At this altitude, it took the spacecraft 62 hours to orbit Bennu.[46] At the end of its detailed survey, the spacecraft entered a closer orbit with a radius of 1 km (0.62 mi).[47]

Animation of OSIRIS-REx

Around the Sun

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Around 101955 Bennu

Touchdown on Bennu

Landing on Earth

OSIRIS-REx * 101955 Bennu * Earth * Sun

### Sample acquisition

Artist's concept of TAGSAM instrument in operation

#### Procedure

Rehearsals were performed before sampling, during which the solar arrays were raised into a Y-shaped configuration to minimize the chance of dust accumulation during contact and provide more ground clearance in case the spacecraft tipped over (up to 45°) during contact.[30] The descent was very slow, minimizing thruster firings prior to contact to reduce the likelihood of asteroid surface contamination by unreacted hydrazine propellant. On 20 October 2020, contact with the surface of Bennu was detected using accelerometers, and the impact force was dissipated by a spring in the TAGSAM arm.[48]

Upon surface contact by the TAGSAM instrument, a burst of nitrogen gas was released to blow regolith particles smaller than 2 cm (0.8 in) into the sampler head at the end of the robotic arm. A five-second timer limited the collection time to mitigate the chance of a collision, and the probe then executed a back-away maneuver to depart safely.[30]

The plan was then for OSIRIS-REx to perform a braking maneuver a few days later to halt the drift away from the asteroid in case it was necessary to return for another sampling attempt. It would then take images of the TAGSAM head to verify a sample had been acquired. If a sample was acquired, the spacecraft would rotate about the short axis of the sample arm to determine sample mass by measuring momentum of inertia and determine if it was in excess of the required 60 g (2.1 oz).

Both the braking and rotation maneuvers were canceled when images of the sample container clearly showed a large excess of material was collected, some of which was able to escape through the container's seal because some material had jammed the mechanism open. The collected material was scheduled for immediate storage in the Sample-Return Capsule.[49][30] On 28 October 2020, the sample collector head was secured in the return capsule. Following the separation of the head from the collector arm, the arm was retracted into its launch configuration, and the Sample-Return Capsule lid was closed and latched preparing to return to Earth.[50][51]

In addition to the bulk sampling mechanism, contact pads on the end of the sampling head made of tiny stainless steel loops (Velcro)[52] passively collected dust grains smaller than 1 mm.

#### Operations

The final four candidate sample sites The successful October 2020 sample collection, showing OSIRIS-REx touching down on the Nightingale sample site

File:OSIRIS-REx-AsteroidBennu-TakingSample-20201020.webm

Images of the TAGSAM head showing that it is full of rocks and dust collected from Bennu and that it is leaking material into space OSIRIS-REx successfully stows its sample of asteroid Bennu in October 2020. File:Sample container closes-Osiris-Rex.webmThe sample container closes.

NASA selected the final four candidate sample sites in August 2019, named Nightingale, Kingfisher, Osprey, and Sandpiper.[53] On 12 December 2019, they announced that Nightingale had been selected as the primary sample site and Osprey was selected as the backup site.[54] Both were within craters, with Nightingale near Bennu's north pole while Osprey was near the equator.[55]

NASA planned to perform the first sampling in late August 2020;[56] NASA's originally planned Touch-and-Go (TAG) sample collection was scheduled for 25 August 2020, but was rescheduled for 20 October 2020, at 22:13 UTC.[57][58] On 15 April 2020, the first sample collection rehearsal was successfully performed at the Nightingale sample site. The exercise took OSIRIS-REx as close as 65 m (213 ft) from the surface before performing a back-away burn.[59][60] A second rehearsal was successfully completed on 11 August 2020, bringing OSIRIS-REx down to 40 m (130 ft) from the surface. This was the final rehearsal before the sample collection scheduled for 20 October 2020, at 22:13 UTC.[61][62]

At 22:13 UTC, on October 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx successfully touched down on Bennu at a distance of 200 million miles (320 million kilometers) from Earth.[63][64] NASA confirmed via images taken during sampling that the sampler had made contact. The spacecraft touched down within 92 cm (36 in) of the target location.[65][66] A sample of the asteroid which was estimated to weigh at least 2 ounces (57 grams) was collected by OSIRIS-REx following the touch down.[18] After imaging the TAGSAM head, NASA concluded that there were rocks wedged in the mylar flap meant to keep the sample inside, causing the sample to slowly escape into space.[67] In order to prevent further loss of the sample through the flaps, NASA canceled the previously planned spinning maneuver meant to determine the mass of the sample as well as a navigational braking maneuver, and decided to stow the sample on 27 October 2020 rather than 2 November 2020 as originally planned, which was completed successfully. The collector head was observed hovering over the Sample Return Capsule (SRC) after the TAGSAM arm moved it into the proper position for capture, and the collector head was later secured onto the capture ring in the SRC.[67]

When the head was seated into the Sample-Return Capsule's capture ring on 28 October 2020, the spacecraft performed a "backout check", which commanded the TAGSAM arm to back out of the capsule. This maneuver is designed to tug on the collector head and ensure that the latches – which keep the collector head in place – are well secured. Following the test, the mission team received telemetry confirming that the head was properly secured in the Sample-Return Capsule. Thereafter, on 28 October 2020, two mechanical parts on the TAGSAM arm were disconnected – these are the tube that carried the nitrogen gas to the TAGSAM head during sample collection and the TAGSAM arm itself. Over the next several hours, the mission team commanded the spacecraft to cut the tube that stirred up the sample through the TAGSAM head during sample collection, and separate the collector head from the TAGSAM arm. Once the team confirmed these activities were done, it commanded the spacecraft on 28 October 2020, to close and seal the Sample-Return Capsule, the final step of the sample stowage process of Bennu's samples.[68] To seal the SRC, the spacecraft closed the lid and then secured two internal latches. On inspecting images, it was observed that a few particles had escaped from the collector head during the stowage procedure, but it was confirmed that no particles would hinder the stowage process, since the team was confident that a plentiful amount of material remained inside of the head, more than the 60 g (2.1 oz) needed, that is, 121.6 g (4.29 oz).[11] The sample of Bennu was safely stored and ready for its journey to Earth. With the collector head secure inside the SRC, pieces of the sample would no longer be lost.[69]

### Sample return

Two members of the recovery team examine the return capsule after landing.

Close-up photo of the return capsule upon landing

Expected landing area of return capsule in Utah

On 7 April 2021, OSIRIS-REx completed its final flyover of Bennu and began drifting away from the asteroid.[70] On 10 May 2021, the spacecraft departed the vicinity of Bennu and began its two-year journey to Earth with the asteroid sample.[71][72][73]

On 24 September 2023, at 4:42 a.m. MDT, at a distance of 63,000 miles (101,000 kilometers) from Earth, it ejected the sample return capsule, which re-entered the atmosphere at 27,650 miles per hour (44,500 km/h).[74] Due to a mistake in wiring, the drogue parachute did not deploy as planned at 100,000 feet (30,400 meters).[75] However, the main parachute was released when the spacecraft reached about 9,000 feet (2,700 meters), and it survived deployment despite higher than anticipated speeds.[75] About 8:52 a.m. MDT the capsule landed at 11 mph (18 km/h) at the Utah Test and Training Range, one minute earlier than predicted.[75][76][77] The main spacecraft maneuvered to a trajectory away from Earth for its extended mission to Apophis in 2029 called OSIRIS-APEX.[78]

At 10:15 a.m. MDT, the capsule was taken from the landing site by helicopter. The sample will be analyzed at NASA's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate (ARES) and at Japan's Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center.[77][79] Asteroid sample material requests will be considered and distributed to organizations worldwide by ARES.[23]

On 11 October 2023, the recovered capsule was opened to reveal a "first look" at the asteroid sample contents.[12] Further looks were reported on 13 December 2023 and revealed organic molecules and unknown materials that require study to determine their composition.[80][81]

Some damaged fasteners prevented immediate opening, but, after three months, on 13 January 2024, NASA reported fully opening the recovered container.[82][83] In total, 121.6 g (4.29 oz) of asteroidal material was recovered from the sample container.[11][84]

The samples became available to the world’s scientists for research by request on 1 April 2024.[85] On 15 May 2024, an overview of preliminary analytical studies on the returned samples was reported.[86] In January 2025, NASA revealed that while the samples did not show evidence of life, their contents suggest that the conditions necessary for the emergence of life were likely widespread in the early solar system.[87] The amount of ammonia, a volatile substance, in the samples indicates that Bennu emerged from the colder, outer regions of space.[87]

In January 2025, it was reported that a wide range of carbon- and nitrogen-rich organic compounds have been identified in samples returned from Bennu, including 14 of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins in terrestrial organisms, as well as all four nucleobases (adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine) that are the essential building blocks of DNA and RNA. The samples contain a nearly equal mix of left-handed (L) and right-handed (D) amino acids, raising questions about whether asteroids like Bennu helped shape Earth's biochemistry.[88][89][90]

## Extended mission OSIRIS-APEX

On 25 April 2022, NASA confirmed that the mission would be extended. After dropping off its sample to Earth on 24 September 2023, the mission became OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer).[78] As the new name suggests, its next target will be the near-Earth asteroid (and potentially hazardous object) 99942 Apophis. Apophis will make an extremely close pass to the Earth on 13 April 2029, although there is no chance for an impact during this or any subsequent flybys in the near future. Observations of Apophis will commence on 8 April 2029, and a few days later, on 21 April, OSIRIS-APEX is planned to rendezvous with the asteroid.[91] OSIRIS-APEX will orbit Apophis for around 18 months in a regime similar to that at Bennu. The spacecraft will perform a maneuver, similar to sample collection at Bennu, by using its thrusters to disturb Apophis's surface, in order to expose and spectrally study the subsurface and the material beneath it.[16] The mission, initially proposed to be shut down with the FY2026 budget, was saved after legislators included continued funding for the project in the final bill. For FY2027, the United States House Committee on Appropriations advanced the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) Appropriations bill on 13 May 2026 for further Senate and full-house Congress approvals - after the CJS subcommittee approval on 30 April 2026.[92][93]

Animation of OSIRIS-APEX

Around the Sun

Around 99942 Apophis

OSIRIS-APEX * 99942 Apophis * Earth * Sun

## Name

OSIRIS-REx and OSIRIS-APEX are acronyms, and each letter or combination of letters relates to part of the respective projects:[94]

* O – Origins
* SI – Spectral Interpretation
* RI – Resource Identification
* S – Security
* REx – Regolith Explorer
* APEX – Apophis Explorer

Each of these words was chosen to represent an aspect of this mission.[94] For example, the S, for security means the security of Earth from impact by hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs).[94] Specifically it refers to better understanding the Yarkovsky effect, which can alter the trajectories of orbiting bodies.[94] Regolith Explorer means that the mission will study the texture, morphology, geochemistry, and spectral properties of the regolith of asteroid Bennu while Apophis Explorer corresponds to the study of Apophis asteroid.[94]

When its heritage concept was proposed in the Discovery Program in 2004, it was called only OSIRIS, with REx for "Regolith Explorer" used descriptively rather than as part of the name.[95]

The mission name itself was a reference to the god Osiris. Dante Lauretta, deputy PI of the mission, was called "a mythology buff" by the mission PI Michael Drake: "he was doodling on a pad and trying to capture the principal themes of what we are trying to do with this mission—study life origins, identify resources, planetary security in the form of asteroid deflection—and he realized he got the name of Osiris out of that, an ancient god of Egypt who may have been one of the first pharaohs."[96][97] Similar to how Osiris in mythology taught agriculture to humanity which brought civilization and life to Egypt, OSIRIS-REx aims to return samples from an asteroid that may contain organics that led to the origin of life on Earth.[98] Rex is the Latin word for king which is a reference to Osiris being a mythical king of Egypt.

Asteroid Bennu is named after the mythological bird from ancient Egyptian mythology that was associated with the Sun and the creation of the cosmos, while the asteroid for the second mission is named after the ancient Egyptian god Apophis, who was associated with chaos and destruction.[99] Both asteroids Bennu and Apophis are named after figures in Egyptian mythology just like OSIRIS-REx.

## Science objectives

Sample Return Capsule infographic

The science objectives of the mission are:[100]

* Return and analyze a sample of pristine carbonaceous asteroid regolith in an amount sufficient to study the nature, history, and distribution of its constituent minerals and organic compounds
* Map the global properties, chemistry, and mineralogy of a primitive carbonaceous asteroid to characterize its geologic and dynamic history and provide context for the returned samples
* Document the texture, morphology, geochemistry, and spectral properties of the regolith at the sampling site in situ at scales down to millimeters
* Measure the Yarkovsky effect (a thermal force on the object) on a potentially hazardous asteroid and constrain the asteroid properties that contribute to this effect
* Characterize the integrated global properties of a primitive carbonaceous asteroid to allow for direct comparison with ground-based telescopic data of the entire asteroid population

Telescopic observations have helped define the orbit of 101955 Bennu, a near-Earth object (NEO) with a mean diameter in the range of 480 to 511 m (1,575 to 1,677 ft).[101] It completes an orbit of the Sun every 436.604 days (1.2 years). This orbit takes it close to the Earth every six years. Although the orbit is reasonably well known, scientists continue to refine it. It is critical to know the orbit of Bennu because recent calculations produced a cumulative probability of 1 in 1410 (or 0.071%) of impact with Earth from 2169 to 2199.[102] One of the mission objectives is to refine understanding of non-gravitational effects (such as the Yarkovsky effect) on this orbit, and the implications of those effects for Bennu's collision probability. Knowing Bennu's physical properties will be critical for future scientists to understand when developing an asteroid impact avoidance mission.[103]

## Specifications

File:OSIRIS-REx.stl

3D model of OSIRIS-REx

OSIRIS-REx instrument deck

* Dimensions: Length 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in), width 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in), height 3.15 m (10.3 ft)[2]
* Width with solar arrays deployed: 6.17 m (20.2 ft)[2]
* Power: Two solar arrays generate 1226 to 3000 Watts, depending on the spacecraft's distance from the Sun. Energy is stored in Li-ion batteries.[2]
* Propulsion system: Based on a hydrazine monopropellant system developed for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, carrying 1,230 kg (2,710 lb) of propellant and helium.[104]
* The sample-return capsule reentered the Earth's atmosphere with a parachute assisted landing. The capsule with encased samples was retrieved from Earth's surface and is being studied, as was done with the Stardust mission.

## Instruments

In addition to its telecommunication equipment, the spacecraft carries a suite of instruments to image and analyze the asteroid on many wavelengths,[105] and retrieve a physical sample to return to Earth. The Planetary Society coordinated a campaign to invite interested persons to have their names or artwork on the mission's spirit of exploration saved on a microchip carried in the spacecraft.[106]

### OCAMS

Imaging camera suite

The OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite (OCAMS) consists of the PolyCam, the MapCam, and the SamCam.[105] Together, they acquire information on asteroid Bennu by providing global mapping, sample site reconnaissance and characterization, high-resolution imaging, and records of the sample acquisition.[107]

* PolyCam, an 20 cm (7.9 in) telescope, acquired visible-light images with increasingly higher resolution on approach the asteroid and high-resolution surface images from orbit
* MapCam searches for satellites and outgassing plumes. It maps the asteroid in four blue, green, red and near infrared channels, and informs the model of Bennu's shape and provides high resolution imaging of the potential sample sites
* SamCam continuously documents the sample acquisitions

### OVIRS

OVIRS

The OSIRIS-REx Visible and IR Spectrometer (OVIRS) is a spectrometer which maps minerals and organic substances on the asteroid's surface.[105] It provides full-disc asteroid spectral data at 20 m resolution. It maps blue to near-infrared, 400–4300 nm, with a spectral resolution of 7.5–22 nm.[108] This data was used in concert with OTES spectra to guide sample-site selection. The spectral ranges and resolving powers are sufficient to provide surface maps of carbonates, silicates, sulfates, oxides, adsorbed water and a wide range of organic compounds.

### OTES

OTES

### REXIS

The Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) provided an X-ray spectroscopy map of Bennu to map element abundances.[105] REXIS was a collaborative development by four groups within Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, with the potential to involve more than 100 students throughout the process. REXIS was based on flight heritage hardware, thereby minimizing elements of technical risk, schedule risk, and cost risk.[109]

On 11 November 2019, while observing the asteroid with REXIS, university students and researchers involved in the mission unexpectedly discovered an X-ray burst from a black hole named MAXI J0637-430 located 30,000 light-years away.[110]

### OLA

OLA has a single common receiver and two complementary transmitter assemblies that enhance the resolution of the information brought back. OLA's high-energy laser transmitter is used for ranging and mapping from 1 to 7.5 km (0.62 to 4.66 mi). The low-energy transmitter is used for ranging and imaging from 0.5 to 1 km (0.31 to 0.62 mi). The repetition rate of these transmitters sets the data acquisition rate of OLA. Laser pulses from both the low and high energy transmitters are directed onto a movable scanning mirror, which is co-aligned with the field of view of the receiver telescope limiting the effects of background solar radiation. Each pulse provides target range, azimuth, elevation, received intensity and a time-tag. OLA was funded by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and was built by MDA at Brampton, Ontario, Canada.[111] OLA was delivered for integration with the spacecraft on 17 November 2015.[112] The lead instrument scientist of OLA is Michael Daly from York University.[113]

### TAGSAM

Main article: Engineering:TAGSAM

TAGSAM arm test before launch

The sample-return system, called Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), consists of a sampler head with an articulated 3.35 m (11.0 ft) arm.[2][105] An on-board nitrogen source supports up to three separate sampling attempts to acquire at least 60 g (2.1 oz) of sample in all. The surface contact pads also collect fine-grained material. Highlights of the TAGSAM instrument and technique include:

* Relative approach velocity of 10 cm/s (3.9 in/s)[114]
* Contact within 25 m (82 ft) of selected location
* OCAMS documents sampling at 1 Hz
* Collect samples in less than five seconds, direct nitrogen (N2) annular jet fluidizes regolith, surface-contact pad captures surface sample
* Verify bulk sample collection via spacecraft inertia change; surface sample by imaging sampler head
* Sampler head stored in sample-return capsule and returned to Earth

## Cooperation with JAXA

Hayabusa2 is a similar mission from JAXA to collect samples from near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu. It arrived at the asteroid in June 2018, left in November 2019 after two successful sample collections, and returned to Earth in December 2020. The recovery capsule of Hayabusa2 re-entered Earth atmosphere and landed in Australia, as planned, on 5 December 2020. The sample contents were to be extensively analyzed, including water content, to provide clues on the initial formation of the asteroid. The main module of Hayabusa2 is performing a swing-by procedure to "push" it onward to its next destination, asteroid 1998KY26, by 2031. Because the two missions were similar and had overlapping timelines (OSIRIS-REx was still in the return phase), NASA and JAXA signed an agreement to collaborate on sample exchange and research.[115][116] The two teams visited each other, with representatives from JAXA visiting the OSIRIS-REx Science Operations Center at the University of Arizona, and members of the OSIRIS-REx team traveling to Japan to meet with the Hayabusa2 team.[117][118] The teams are sharing software, data, and techniques for analysis, and will eventually exchange portions of the samples that are returned to Earth.[119][120]

## OSIRIS-REx II

OSIRIS-REx II was a 2012 mission concept to replicate the original spacecraft for a double mission, with the second vehicle collecting samples from the two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. It was stated that this mission would be both the quickest and least expensive way to get samples from the moons. Mars I and II are now the aims of another mission, led by JAXA, called MMX, to be launched in 2026.[121][122][123]

## Gallery

* Narrated tour of Bennu's most prominent surface features, as seen by OSIRIS-REx

* Effects of OSIRIS-REx sampling attempt on Bennu

* First images of asteroid Bennu (August 2018)

* Asteroid Bennu from 330 km (210 mi) away (29 October 2018)

* Earth-Moon (lower left) and asteroid Bennu (upper right) (December 2018)[124]

* The Sample Return Capsule (SRC) with asteroid Bennu in the background (December 2019)

* The "Nightingale" sample site pictured before and after the sampling maneuver

* The opened return capsule

* Sample being displayed at Space Center Houston

## See also

* Astronomy:Asteroidal water - Water and its precursors in asteroids

## Notes

1. ↑ Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer

## References

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99. ↑ Strickland, Ashley (2023-09-25). "OSIRIS-APEX mission sets off for new asteroid target" (in en). https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/25/world/osiris-apophis-mission-scn/index.html.
100. ↑ "OSIRIS-REx info-sheet". University of Arizona. http://osiris-rex.lpl.arizona.edu/downloads/OSIRIS_REx_infosheet.pdf.
101. ↑ Müller, T.G.; O'Rourke, L.; Barucci, A.M.; Pál, A.; Kiss, C.; Zeidler, P.; Altieri, B.; González-García, B.M. et al. (December 2012). "Physical properties of OSIRIS-REx target asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36. Derived from Herschel, VLT/ VISIR, and Spitzer observations". Astronomy & Astrophysics 548: A36. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220066. Bibcode: 2012A&A...548A..36M.(101955)+1999+RQ36.+Derived+from+Herschel,+VLT/+VISIR,+and+Spitzer+observations&rft.jtitle=Astronomy+&+Astrophysics&rft.aulast=Müller&rft.aufirst=T.G.&rft.au=Müller, T.G.&rft.au=O'Rourke, L.&rft.au=Barucci, A.M.&rft.au=Pál, A.&rft.au=Kiss, C.&rft.au=Zeidler, P.&rft.au=Altieri, B.&rft.au=González-García, B.M.&rft.au=Küppers, M.&rft.date=December+2012&rft.volume=548&rft.pages=A36&rft_id=info:doi/10.1051/0004-6361/201220066&rft_id=info:bibcode/2012A&A...548A..36M;&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikibooks.org:Astronomy:OSIRIS-REx">
102. ↑ "Earth impact risk summary for 101955 Bennu". JPL / NASA. 5 August 2010. http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/a101955.html. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
103. ↑ "OSIRIS-REx – The Mission". asteroidmission.org (Press release). NASA. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
104. ↑ Lauretta, Dante (16 December 2014). "Integration of the OSIRIS-REx main propellant tank". http://dslauretta.com/2014/12/16/integration-of-the-osiris-rex-main-propellant-tank/.
105. ↑ 105.0 105.1 105.2 105.3 105.4 "Instruments: Science Payload". OSIRIS-REx Mission. University of Arizona. http://www.asteroidmission.org/objectives/instruments/.
106. ↑ "NASA invites public to send artwork to an asteroid". University of Arizona. 19 February 2016. http://www.asteroidmission.org/?latest-news=nasa-invites-public-send-artwork-asteroid.
"OSIRIS-REx: Messages to Bennu!". The Planetary Society. http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/messages/bennu/.
107. ↑ Lauretta, Dante (11 January 2014). "OCAMS – The Eyes of OSIRIS-REx". https://dslauretta.com/2014/01/11/ocams-the-eyes-of-osiris-rex/.
108. ↑ Simon-Miller, A.A.; Reuter, D.C. (18–22 March 2013). "OSIRIS-REx OVIRS: A scalable, visible to near-IR spectrometer for planetary study". 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. The Woodlands, Texas. Bibcode: 2013LPI....44.1100S. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2013/pdf/1100.pdf. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
109. ↑ Carte, David B.; Inamdar, Niraj K.; Jones, Michael P.; Masterson, Rebecca A. (2014-05-01). "Design and Test of a Deployable Radiation Cover for the REgolith X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer" (in en). The 42nd Aerospace Mechanism Symposium. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20150004054. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
110. ↑ OSIRIS-REx Observes a Black Hole (video). NASA Goddard. 3 March 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 5 March 2020 - via YouTube. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
111. ↑ "OLA, Canada's Contribution to OSIRIS-REx". Canadian Space Agency. 4 March 2013. http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/osiris-rex/ola.asp.
112. ↑ Jones, Nancy N. (17 July 2014). "Canada Contributes to NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/canada-contributes-to-nasa-s-osiris-rex-mission. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Jeffery, Cassandra (17 December 2015). "Canada to invest in space exploration with new laser". Kelowna Now. https://www.kelownanow.com/news/news/National_News/15/12/17/Canada_to_Invest_in_Space_Exploration_with_New_Laser/.
113. ↑ "Canada's role in OSIRIS-REx". 4 March 2013. http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/osiris-rex/canadas-role.asp.
114. ↑ Lauretta, Dante (27 November 2013). "How to get to Bennu and back". https://dslauretta.com/2013/11/27/how-to-get-to-bennu-and-back/.
115. ↑ Clark, Stephen (15 December 2014). "NASA, JAXA reach asteroid sample-sharing agreement". https://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/15/nasa-jaxa-reach-asteroid-sample-sharing-agreement/.
116. ↑ Nakamura-Messenger, Keiko; Righter, Kevin; Snead, Christopher; McCubbin, Francis; Pace, Lisa; Zeigler, Ryan; Evans, Cindy (2017). "NASA curation preparation for Ryugu sample returned by JAXA's Hayabusa2 mission" (PDF) (Press release). NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
117. ↑ "Mission Update Apr. 22, 2019". NASA. 22 April 2019. https://www.asteroidmission.org/?mission_update=apr-22-2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
118. ↑ "Science Team Meeting 12". OSIRIS-REx. 29 March 2017. https://www.instagram.com/p/BSO5YjKBLwf/. "This week we're hosting Science Team Meeting 12 at @uarizona. More than 100 members of @nasa's OSIRIS-REx team and @jaxajp's Hayabusa2 team are gathered in Tucson to exchange information, share ideas and plan ways the two #asteroid-bound missions can collaborate. #science"
119. ↑ Hoekenga, Christine (22 June 2018). "Two Pieces of a Cosmic Puzzle: Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx". NASA. https://www.asteroidmission.org/?latest-news=two-pieces-cosmic-puzzle-hayabusa2-osiris-rex. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
120. ↑ Lauretta, Dante (20 October 2014). "Collaboration between OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2". The Planetary Society. https://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/dante-lauretta/20141020-collaboration-between.html.
121. ↑ Elifritz, T.L. (12–14 June 2012). "OSIRIS-REx II to Mars – Mars sample return from Phobos and Deimos". Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration. Houston, Texas. Bibcode: 2012LPICo1679.4017E. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/marsconcepts2012/pdf/4017.pdf. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
122. ↑ Templeton, Graham (31 May 2016). "OSIRIS-REx is about to go collect (and return) samples from an asteroid". ExtremeTech. https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/229171-osiris-rex-is-about-to-go-collect-and-return-samples-from-an-asteroid.
123. ↑ "MMX – Martian Moons eXploration" (in en). http://mmx.isas.jaxa.jp/.
124. ↑ Dunn, Marcia (8 January 2019). "Asteroid-circling spacecraft grabs cool snapshot of home width2=200". AP News. https://apnews.com/de76da4abcc04c288109201c33e22a2c.

## External links

* "OSIRIS-REx". 20 February 2015. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-rex/. mission website at NASA
* "OSIRIS-REx". http://www.asteroidmission.org. mission website at the University of Arizona
* "OSIRIS-REx Mission Archive". University of Maryland, Department of Astronomy. https://pdssbn.astro.umd.edu/data_sb/missions/orex/index.shtml.
* Video (2:53) – Asteroid Bennu Mission Overview (NASA; 11 May 2021).

* v
* t
* e

Spacecraft missions to minor planets and comets

* List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft
* List of artificial objects on extra-terrestrial surfaces

Past and
current|

| Flybys|

* Cassini–Huygens
* Chang'e 2
* Clementine†
* CONTOUR†
* Deep Impact
* EPOXI
* Deep Space 1
* Galileo
* Halley Armada
* Giotto
* Sakigake
* Suisei
* Vega 1
* Vega 2
* International Cometary Explorer
* NEAR Shoemaker
* New Horizons
* Pioneer 7
* PROCYON†
* Rosetta
* Stardust/NExT
* Ulysses

|

Orbiters|

* Dawn
* Hayabusa
* Hayabusa2
* NEAR Shoemaker
* OSIRIS-REx
* Rosetta
* Timeline

Landers|

* Hayabusa
* MINERVA†
* Hayabusa2
* HIBOU
* MASCOT
* MINERVA-II 2
* OWL
* NEAR Shoemaker
* Philae

Impactors|

* Deep Impact

Sample return|

* Hayabusa
* Hayabusa2
* OSIRIS-REx
* Stardust

Planned|

* NEA Scout (flyby, 2020-2021)
* Lucy (multiple flybys, 2021)
* DART (impactor and flyby, 2021)
* DESTINY+ (multiple flybys, 2022)
* Psyche (orbiter, 2022)
* Hera (orbiter and landers, 2024)
* Comet Interceptor (flyby, 2028)

Proposed|

* ASTER (orbiter, 2021)
* Athena (flyby of Pallas, 2022)
* Centaurus (multiple flybys, 2026-2029)
* CORSAIR (sample return)
* HAMMER (nuclear impactor concept)
* MANTIS (multiple flybys)
* OKEANOS (multiple flybys and sample return, 2026)
* World Is Not Enough (spacecraft refueling concept)
* ZhengHe (multiple flybys and sample return, 2024)

Cancelled or
not developed|

* AGORA
* AIM
* Asteroid Redirect Mission
* CAESAR
* Castalia
* Clementine 2
* Comet Hopper
* CONDOR
* CRAF
* Don Quijote
* Hayabusa Mk2
* MAOSEP
* Marco Polo
* New Horizons 2
* Vesta

Related|

* Asteroid belt
* Asteroid capture
* Asteroid mining
* Colonization of asteroids
* Ceres
* Colonization
* Pluto
* Exploration
* Small Solar System bodies
* Near-Earth object
* Trans-Neptunian object
* Colonization
* Trojan
* Vesta

* Probes are listed in chronological order of launch. Italics indicate currently active missions. † indicates mission failures.

* v
* t
* e

NASAPlanetary Missions Program Office|Planetary Missions Program Office]]

Discovery program

| Missions|

| Main|

* NEAR Shoemaker
* Mars Pathfinder
* Lunar Prospector
* Stardust
* Genesis
* CONTOUR†
* MESSENGER
* Deep Impact
* Dawn
* Kepler
* GRAIL
* InSight
* Lucy
* Psyche

|

Opportunity - instruments|

* ASPERA-3 (on Mars Express)
* Moon Mineralogy Mapper (on Chandrayaan-1)
* Strofio (on BepiColombo MPO)
* MEGANE (on Martian Moons Exploration)

Opportunity - retasking|

* EPOXI
* NExT

Proposals|

| Finalists|

* Mission 12
* Comet Hopper
* Titan Mare Explorer
* Mission 13 and 14
* DAVINCI
* NEOCam
* VERITAS

|

Candidates|

* Enceladus Life Finder
* Icebreaker Life
* Io Volcano Observer
* ISOCHRON
* JET
* LIFE
* MANTIS
* Mars Geyser Hopper
* Moon Diver
* PADME
* Phobos Surveyor
* Trident
* Whipple

New Frontiers program

| Missions|

| Main|

* New Horizons
* Juno
* OSIRIS-REx
* Dragonfly

|

Proposals|

| Finalists|

* Mission 2
* MoonRise
* Mission 3
* MoonRise
* SAGE
* Mission 4
* CAESAR

|

Candidates|

* CONDOR
* CORSAIR
* ELF
* ELSAH
* Oceanus (Titan orbiter)
* SPRITE
* VICI
* VISAGE
* VOX

Concepts|

* Camilla
* FIRE
* Io Volcano Observer
* New Horizons 2
* Oceanus (Uranus orbiter)
* Saturn Atmospheric Entry Probe
* THEO
* Venus In Situ Explorer

Solar System Exploration program

| Missions|

| Main|

* DART
* Europa Clipper

|

Opportunity - instruments|

* UVS (on JUICE)

* Green titles indicates active current missions
* Italics indicate missions yet to launch
* Symbol † indicates failure en route or before intended mission data returned

* v
* t
* e

Planetary defense

Main topics|

* Asteroid
* Bolide
* Earth-grazing fireball
* Impact event
* List of meteor air bursts
* Meteor procession
* Meteor shower
* Meteorite
* Meteoroid
* Near-Earth object
* Potentially hazardous object

Defense|

* Asteroid impact avoidance
* Asteroid laser ablation
* Gravity tractor
* Ion-beam shepherd
* Asteroid close approaches
* Earth-crossing minor planets
* Damage scales
* Palermo scale
* Torino scale

Space probes|

* Dawn
* Deep Impact
* AIDA
* Hera
* DART
* Halley Armada
* Hayabusa
* Hayabusa2
* MASCOT
* NEAR Shoemaker
* NEA Scout
* New Horizons
* OSIRIS-REx
* PROCYON
* Rosetta
* Philae
* Stardust

NEO tracking|

* ATLAS
* Catalina Sky Survey
* LINEAR
* LONEOS
* NEAT
* NEOSSat
* NEOCam
* NEODyS
* OGS Telescope
* Orbit@home
* Pan-STARRS
* SCAP
* Sentinel Space Telescope
* Sentry
* Spacewatch
* WISE

Organizations|

* B612 Foundation
* Japan Spaceguard Association
* Meteoritical Society
* NEOShield
* Spaceguard
* The Spaceguard Foundation
* Space Situational Awareness Programme
* Planetary Defense Coordination Office

Potential threats|

* 1950 DA
* 1994 WR12
* 101955 Bennu
* 2002 MN
* (410777) 2009 FD
* 2010 RF12
* 99942 Apophis

Films / video|

* The End of the World (1916)
* When Worlds Collide (1951)
* Gorath (1962)
* The Green Slime (1968)
* The Paradise Syndrome (1968)
* A Fire in the Sky (1978)
* Meteor (1979)
* NOVA: Doomsday Asteroid (1995)
* Asteroid (1997)
* Deep Impact (1998)
* Armageddon (1998)
* Judgment Day (1999)
* Post Impact (2004)
* Deadly Skies (2006)
* Super Comet: After the Impact (2007)
* Impact (2009)
* NOVA: Last Extinction (2009)
* Meteor Storm (2010)
* HORIZON: Asteroids–The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (2010)
* Melancholia (2011)
* NOVA: Meteor Strike (2013)
* NOVA: Asteroid: Doomsday or Payday? (2013)
* Impact Earth (2015)
* Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

* v
* t
* e

Astrobiology

Disciplines|

* Astrochemistry
* Astrophysics
* Atmospheric sciences
* Biochemistry
* Evolutionary biology
* Exoplanetology
* Geomicrobiology
* Microbiology
* Paleontology
* Planetary science

Main topics|

* Abiogenesis
* Allan Hills 84001
* Biomolecule
* Biosignature
* Drake equation
* Earliest known life forms
* Earth analog
* Extraterrestrial life
* Extraterrestrial sample curation
* Extremophiles
* Hypothetical types of biochemistry
* List of microorganisms tested in outer space
* Molecules detected in outer space
* Ocean planet
* Origin of life
* Panspermia
* Planetary protection
* Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)
* Yamato meteorite

Planetary
habitability|

* Habitability of binary star systems
* Habitability of K-type main-sequence star systems
* Habitability of natural satellites
* Habitability of red dwarf systems
* Circumstellar habitable zone
* Earth analog
* List of potentially habitable exoplanets
* Tholin
* Extraterrestrial liquid water
* Galactic habitable zone
* Superhabitable planet

Space
missions|

| Earth orbit|

* BIO
* BIOCORE
* Biolab
* Bion
* BIOPAN
* Biosatellite program
* E-MIST
* ERA
* CROPIS
* EXOSTACK
* EXPOSE
* Lunar Micro Ecosystem
* O/OREOS
* OREOcube
* Tanpopo
* VEGGIE

|

Mars|

* Beagle 2
* ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
* Fobos-Grunt
* Mars Science Laboratory
* Curiosity
* Phoenix
* Viking

Comets and
asteroids|

* Hayabusa2
* OSIRIS-REx
* Rosetta

Planned|

* BioSentinel
* Dragonfly
* Europa Clipper
* ExoMars
* Rosalind Franklin rover
* Kazachock lander
* Mars 2020 rover
* HX-1

Proposed|

* CAESAR
* Enceladus Explorer
* Enceladus Life Finder‎
* Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability
* Europa Lander
* ExoLance
* Explorer of Enceladus and Titan
* Icebreaker Life
* Journey to Enceladus and Titan
* Laplace-P
* Life Investigation For Enceladus
* Mars sample return mission
* Oceanus
* THEO
* Trident

Cancelled and
undeveloped|

* Astrobiology Field Laboratory
* Beagle 3
* Biological Oxidant and Life Detection
* Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment
* Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher
* MELOS
* Northern Light
* Red Dragon
* Terrestrial Planet Finder

Institutions
and programs|

* Astrobiology Society of Britain
* Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets
* Breakthrough Initiatives
* Breakthrough Listen
* Breakthrough Message
* Breakthrough Starshot
* Carl Sagan Institute
* Center for Life Detection Science
* European Astrobiology Network Association
* NASA Astrobiology Institute
* Nexus for Exoplanet System Science
* Ocean Worlds Exploration Program
* Spanish Astrobiology Center‎

* Category
* Commons
* Portal: Astronomy
* Biology

* v
* t
* e

2016 in space

* « 2015

2017 »

Spacecraft launches|

* ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (Mars orbiter) / Schiaparelli EDM (Mars lander)
* Hitomi (X-ray observatory)
* OSIRIS-REx (mission to asteroid)

Selected NEOs|

* Asteroid close approaches
* 2013 TX68
* 252P/LINEAR
* 2016 EU85
* 469219 Kamoʻoalewa
* 2016 PQ
* P/2016 BA14

Planets|

| Extrasolar |

* HD 19467 b
* 2MASS J2126–8140
* BD+20 594b
* Pr0211 c
* TRAPPIST-1b
* TRAPPIST-1c
* TRAPPIST-1d
* KELT-9b
* Kepler-1229b
* Kepler-1520b
* Kepler-1638b
* Kepler-1647b
* Kepler-20g
* V830 Tauri b
* Qatar-3b
* Qatar-4b
* Qatar-5b
* K2-33b
* HIP 41378 b
* HIP 41378 c
* HIP 41378 d
* HIP 41378 e
* HIP 41378 f
* HD 131399 Ab
* HD 164922 c
* KELT-11b
* K2-72b
* K2-72c
* K2-72d
* K2-72e
* Proxima Centauri b
* 38 Virginis b
* TW Hydrae b
* OGLE-2007-BLG-349(AB)b
* Gliese 536 b

|

Solar|

* Planet Nine (hypothesized)

Rogue|

* 2MASS J1119–1137

Discoveries|

* BOSS Great Wall
* Crater 2
* GW150914 (first observation of gravitational waves, discovered in 2015)
* GW151226 (discovered in 2015)
* GN-z11
* GRB 160625B
* (471325) 2011 KT19
* Virgo I
* 1994 WR12 (recovered)

Comets|

* P/2016 BA14
* C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS)

Space exploration|

* Juno (entered Jupiter orbit)
* Rosetta / Philae (end of mission to comet 67P)

* Category:2015 in space — Category:2016 in space — Category:2017 in space

* v
* t
* e

2018 in space

* « 2017

2019 »

Space probe launches |

* TESS (lunar flyby; Apr 2018)
* InSight / Mars Cube One (mission to Mars; May 2018)
* Parker Solar Probe (solar space mission; Aug 2018)
* BepiColombo (mission to Mercury; Oct 2018)
* Chang'e 4 / Yutu-2 (mission to the Moon; Dec 2018)

Impact events|

* 2018 LA
* Kamchatka meteor

Selected NEOs|

* Asteroid close approaches
* 2010 WC9
* 2017 VR12
* 2017 YE5
* 2017 YZ1
* 2018 AH
* 2018 BD
* 2018 BF3
* 2018 CB
* 2018 CC
* 2018 CF2
* 2018 CL
* 2018 CN2
* 2018 CY2
* 2018 DV1
* 2018 GE3
* 2018 PD20
* 2018 LF16
* 2018 WV1
* (276033) 2002 AJ129
* (163899) 2003 SD220
* (505657) 2014 SR339

Exoplanets |

* Gliese 1132 c
* K2-141b
* K2-146b
* K2-148b
* K2-155d
* K2-229b
* K2-239b
* K2-239c
* K2-239d
* K2-288Bb
* Barnard's Star b
* EPIC 211945201 b
* HD 89345 b
* KELT-21b
* NGTS-3Ab

Discoveries|

* AT2018cow
* Novae (List)
* Carina
* Musca
* Perseus
* MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1
* Hyperion proto-supercluster
* 2015 TH367 (orbit announced)
* 2015 TG387 (orbit announced)
* 2017 OF69 (announced)
* 2018 VG18

Comets |

* C/2018 V1
* 46P/Wirtanen
* Hyperbolic comets
* C/2017 U7 (announced in 2018)
* C/2018 C2 (Lemmon)
* C/2018 F4 (PANSTARRS)

Space exploration|

* Hayabusa2 (asteroid Ryugu arrival; June 2018)
* OSIRIS-REx (asteroid Bennu arrival; Dec 2018)
* New Horizons (encounter with 486958 Arrokoth; Dec 2018 / Jan 2019)
* Dawn retirement
* Kepler retirement

* Category:2017 in space — Category:2018 in space — Category:2019 in space

* v
* t
* e

2020 in space

* « 2019

2021 »

Space probe launches |

* Solar Orbiter (Feb 2020)
* Hope Mars Mission (Jul 2020)
* Tianwen-1 (Jul 2020)
* Mars 2020 (Jul 2020)
* Perseverance
* Mars Helicopter Ingenuity
* Chang'e 5 (lunar sample return mission; Oct 2020)

Selected NEOs|

* Asteroid close approaches
* 2020 BX12
* 2020 CD3 (temporary satellite)
* (52768) 1998 OR2
* 2020 JJ
* 2020 LD
* (163348) 2002 NN4
* 2011 ES4
* 2018 VP1
* (501647) 2014 SD224

Exoplanets |

* AU Mic b
* Gliese 229 Ac
* Gliese 433 (b * c * d)
* GJ 1151 b radio emissions
* Kepler-160d
* Kepler-1649c
* Lacaille 9352 (b * c)
* TOI 700 (b * c * d)
* TOI 732 (b * c)
* TOI 1338 b
* TOI 1339 (b * c * d)

Discoveries|

* 2020 AV2
* FRB 180916 source location and periodicity
* Radcliffe wave
* Ophiuchus Supercluster explosion
* PSO J03094+27
* 2MASS J10475385+2124234 wind speed measurements
* SGR 1935+2154
* HR 6819 black hole
* SWIFT J1818.0–1607
* South Pole Wall

Comets |

* C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)
* C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)
* C/2020 F8 (SWAN)
* C/2019 U6 (LEMMON)
* C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
* 2P/Encke
* 88P/Howell

Space exploration|

* Spitzer retirement (Jan)
* BepiColombo (Earth gravity assist; Apr)
* OSIRIS-REx (collecting sample from asteroid Bennu; Oct)
* Hayabusa2 (sample return from asteroid Ryugu to Earth; Dec)

* Category:2019 in space — Category:2020 in space — Category:2021 in space

Template:2023 in space

* v
* t
* e

21st-century space probes

Active space probes
(deep space missions)|

| Moon|

* ARTEMIS
* Chandrayaan-2
* Chang'e 3
* Chang'e 4 (Yutu-2)
* Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

|

Mars|

* ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Venus|

* Akatsuki

Minor planet|

* Chang'e 2
* Hayabusa2 / MINERVA-II
* New Horizons
* OSIRIS-REx

Solar science|

* ACE
* DSCOVR
* Parker Solar Probe
* SOHO
* STEREO
* Wind

Others|

* BepiColombo
* Gaia
* Juno
* THEMIS
* Voyager 1
* Voyager 2

Completed after 2000
(by termination date)|

| 2000s|

* 2001
* NEAR Shoemaker
* Deep Space 1
* 2003
* Pioneer 10
* Galileo
* Nozomi
* 2004
* Genesis
* 2005
* Huygens
* 2006
* Mars Global Surveyor
* 2008
* Phoenix
* 2009
* Chang'e 1
* Ulysses
* Chandrayaan-1
* SELENE
* LCROSS

|

2010s|

* 2010
* Hayabusa
* MER Spirit
* 2011
* Stardust
* 2012
* GRAIL
* 2013
* Deep Impact
* 2014
* LADEE
* Venus Express
* Chang'e 5-T1
* 2015
* MESSENGER
* PROCYON
* IKAROS
* 2016
* Rosetta / Philae
* Yutu
* ExoMars Schiaparelli
* 2017
* LISA Pathfinder
* Cassini
* 2018
* MASCOT
* Dawn
* Longjiang-1
* 2019
* MarCO
* MER Opportunity
* Beresheet
* Longjiang-2
* Vikram / Pragyan

* List of Solar System probes
* List of lunar probes
* List of space telescopes

* v
* t
* e

Orbital launches in 2016

January|

Belintersat-1 – Jason-3 – IRNSS-1E – Intelsat 29e – Eutelsat 9B

February|

BeiDou M3-S – USA-266 / GPS IIF-12 – Kosmos 2514 / GLONASS-M 751 – Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 – USA-267 / NROL-45 / Topaz-4 – Sentinel-3A – ASTRO-H / Hitomi * ChubuSat-2 * ChubuSat-3 * Horyu-4

March|

SES-9 – Eutelsat 65 West A – IRNSS-1F – Resurs-P No.3 – ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter * Schiaparelli EDM – Soyuz TMA-20M – Cygnus CRS OA-6 (Diwata-1 * Flock-2e' × 20  * Lemur-2 × 9) – Kosmos 2515 / Bars-M No.2 – BeiDou IGSO-6 – Progress MS-02

April|

Shijian-10 – Dragon CRS-8 * BEAM – Sentinel-1B * MICROSCOPE * AAUSAT-4 * e-st@r-II * OUFTI-1 – Mikhailo Lomonosov * Aist-2D * SamSat 218 – IRNSS-1G

May|

JCSAT-14 – Yaogan 30 – Galileo FOC-10, FOC-11 – Thaicom 8 – Kosmos 2516 / GLONASS-M 753 – Ziyuan III-02 * ÑuSat 1, 2

June|

Kosmos 2517 / Geo-IK-2 No.12 – Intelsat 31 / DLA-2 – USA-268 / NROL-37 – BeiDou G7 – Eutelsat 117 West B * ABS-2A – Echostar 18 * BRIsat – CartoSat-2C * BIROS * GHGsat * LAPAN-A3 * M3MSat * SkySat-C1 * Flock-2p × 12 * SathyabamaSat * Swayam – MUOS-5 – Chinese next-generation crew capsule scale model * Aolong-1 * Aoxiang Zhixing * Tiange-1 * Tiange-2 – Shijian 16-02

July|

Soyuz MS-01 – Progress MS-03 – Dragon CRS-9 – USA-269 / NROL-61

August|

Tiantong-1 01 – Gaofen-3 – JCSAT-16 – QUESS / Mozi / Micius * ³Cat-2 * LiXing-1 – USA-270 / GSSAP #3 * USA-271 / GSSAP #4 – Intelsat 33e * Intelsat 36 – Gaofen-10

September|

Amos-6 – INSAT-3DR – OSIRIS-REx – Ofek-11 – Tiangong-2 – PeruSat-1 * SkySat × 4 – ScatSat-1 * Alsat-1B * Alsat-2B * Blacksky Pathfinder-1 * Alsat-1N * CanX-7 * PISat * Pratham

October|

Sky Muster II * GSAT-18 – Shenzhou 11 – Cygnus CRS OA-5 (Lemur-2 × 4) – Soyuz MS-02

November|

Himawari 9 – Shijian-17 – XPNAV 1 – WorldView-4 * CELTEE 1 * Prometheus-2 × 2 * AeroCube 8 × 2 * U2U * RAVAN – Yunhai-1 – Galileo FOC 7, 12, 13, 14 – Soyuz MS-03 – GOES-R – Tianlian I-04

December|

Progress MS-04 – Göktürk-1 – Resourcesat-2A – WGS-8 – HTV-6 / Kounotori 6 * (EGG * TuPOD * UBAKUSAT * AOBA-VELOX * STARS * FREEDOM * ITF * Waseda-SAT * OSNSAT * Tancredo-1 * TechEDSat * Lemur-2 × 4) – Fengyun 4A – CYGNSS × 8 – EchoStar 19 – Arase / ERG – TanSat * Spark × 2 – Star One D1 * JCSAT-15 – SuperView / Gaojing-1 01, 02 * Bayi Kepu 1

Launches are separated by dashes ( – ), payloads by dots ( * ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Cubesats are smaller.
Crewed flights are bolded. Launch failures are in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in brackets).

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Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSIRIS-REx. Read more

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