Brief
NASA formally ends OSIRIS‑REx asteroid‑sampling mission
The agency wrapped up the decade‑long OSIRIS‑REx project, returning a pristine sample from asteroid Bennu.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On Sept. 30, NASA officially closed the OSIRIS‑REx mission, the first U.S. effort to retrieve a piece of an asteroid and bring it back to Earth, according to Space.com.
What happened
The van‑sized spacecraft, launched on Sept. 8, 2016, traveled to near‑Earth asteroid Bennu, arriving in late 2018. After an unexpected, loosely bound surface was discovered, the probe touched down in the Nightingale crater in October 2020, sinking its sampling head about 20 inches (51 cm) into the material. The collector then retrieved the sample, but the lid jammed partially, causing some material to escape before the head was stowed.
What the reports add
Space.com notes that the mission delivered the largest asteroid sample ever collected, containing organic compounds that may have seeded life on Earth. The article also recounts that the project faced two early rejections from NASA before securing $1 billion funding under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.
What was said
OSIRIS‑REx Principal Investigator Dante Lauretta, speaking on LinkedIn, said, "I have known this day was coming for a long time, but it is still difficult to see it arrive," and added, "I feel enormous pride in what we accomplished together, and real sadness that this journey has come to an end." He also remarked on Oct. 7 that the team’s expectations about Bennu’s surface were "completely wrong."
How it came about
The mission’s decade‑long development began with a $1 billion allocation under NASA’s New Frontiers Program in 2011 after two prior rejections. After launch, the spacecraft spent two years traversing the inner solar system before reaching Bennu. The unexpected boulder‑strewn terrain forced the team to adapt their sampling strategy, ultimately achieving a successful collection despite the lid‑jam issue. The mission’s conclusion follows a series of recent NASA activities, including the Crew‑12 ISS research wrap‑up and upcoming Artemis briefings, underscoring a busy period for the agency.
Key facts
- NASA formally concluded the OSIRIS‑REx mission on Sept. 30, 2026. (space.com)
- The spacecraft launched on Sept. 8, 2016 and arrived at Bennu in late 2018. (space.com)
- The sample collector sank 20 inches (51 cm) into Bennu’s surface at Nightingale crater. (space.com)
- The mission returned the largest asteroid sample ever collected, containing organic material. (space.com)
- Principal Investigator Dante Lauretta expressed pride and sadness in a LinkedIn post. (space.com)
Sources
- [1] space.com — originally reported as “NASA closes the book on epic OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission: 'I am immensely proud of what we did'”
