Sep 11, 2016By the time the spacecraft arrives at Bennu in 2018, there will be no spacecraft visiting or en route to any of the outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—for the first time since 1979.
↩︎ The Planetary Society
More about this
OSIRIS-REx Is Headed to an Asteroid to Bring Back Dust
- OSIRIS-REx will reach Bennu in two years and return to Earth in 2023. Updated Sep 11, 2016 ago
- Watch the liftoff of the rocket carrying OSIRIS-REx.
- Budget cuts make OSIRIS-REx a rare glimmer of hope in space exploration.
NASA launches robotic spacecraft that will visit Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid the size of several city blocks with the hope of finding clues to the chaotic beginnings of our solar system—and a window to the origin of life.
Great news! Launch operations are complete and I am officially in my Cruise Phase. #ToBennuAndBack pic.twitter.com/YJbxPfLhJ9
— OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) September 10, 2016
OSIRIS-REx lifts off aboard an Atlas V rocket. After a minute, it goes supersonic. After 90 seconds, it reaches peak stress due to the combination of velocity and remaining atmosphere. At two minutes, it is going 2,500 miles per hour, weighs half what it did at liftoff, and is headed for space.
No, Asteroid Bennu Will Not Destroy Us
Principle investigator of OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu does the math to dispel rumors NASA mission is a last-ditch effort to save humanity—even if it hit Earth and caused a "major natural disaster," it wouldn't end society.
Related: Launch satellites into the sun, travel time, and save humanity in Spaceplan, a charming strategy game for the background of your browser.
More Headlines
The Editors' Longreads Picks
- An excellent essay on poverty and writing by Starr Davis. Updated May 31, 2022
- Novelist Héctor Tobar tries to understand the 1992 Los Angeles riots through the experiences of a single high school.
- Steven Johnson with a long assessment of the current state of A.I. and language. (The illusion has gotten very good.)
115
More to see
Welcome to The Morning News Tournament of Books, 2017 edition.
- Our championship match is decided in the Tournament of Books, with news of a Rooster surprise debuting this summer. Updated Mar 31, 2017
- In Thursday's action, Reyhan Harmanci sets up a colossal final.
- The Zombie round opens with Buzzfeed's Isaac Fitzgerald reading The Nix and The Underground Railroad.
21
More to see
Все ваши Белый дом принадлежит нам.
- "Will Putin expose the failings of American democracy or will he inadvertently expose the strength of American democracy?" Updated Mar 3, 2017
- Wilbur Ross just wanted to make some money in ethically gray areas (that should've prevented him from taking office).
- Jeff Sessions's spokeswoman can't help but continue to lie.
2
More to see
The oceans are under assault, and not just from the White House and friends.
- Trump's assault on the environment begins with American headwaters. Updated Mar 1, 2017
- Don't just blame the oil companies for destroying the oceans—blame sushi restaurants.
- Nothing escapes the deepest trenches of the ocean floor. Not light, not nutrients, not pollutants.
2
More to see