sample return mission
Here are NASA’s Science Priorities for the Artemis Missions
NASA has released the Artemis III Science Definition Team Report, which defines the science operations that the "first woman and…
China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Blasts Off From the Moon, Bringing Back a Full Load of Samples
For the first time in more than 40 years, a robotic spacecraft has blasted off from the Moon – and…
Watch “Live” as NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Nabs an Asteroid Sample
Today’s the day! The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is going to reach out and boop asteroid Bennu! You can watch the broadcast…
Asteroid Bennu has little pieces of Vesta on it
The asteroid belt is a chaotic place. Things smash into each other, get thrown into completely different orbital planes, and…
Instead of Going Straight to Mars, Astronauts Should Make a Slingshot Past Venus First
Every 26 months, the orbits of both Earth and Mars conspire to make travel between the two planets shorter. Launching…
OSIRIS-REx Will Collect a Sample from Bennu on October 20th
The date is finally set for OSIRIS-REx's sampling maneuver. The spacecraft has been at asteroid Bennu since the end of…
OSIRIS-REx Descended Down to Just 75 Meters Above the Surface of Bennu in a Recent Test
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is getting ready for its big moment. OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is…
This is How the ESA and NASA Will be Working Together to Bring Rocks Back From Mars
The ESA has entered into a lucrative collaboration to help NASA get its Martian rock samples back to Earth.
These are the Boulders OSIRIS-REx is Going to Use to Navigate Down to the Surface of Bennu
Meet OSIRIS-REx's "Guide Boulders." When the NASA spacecraft first arrived at asteroid Bennu over a year ago, the surface of…
It’s Time to Decide. Where Should OSIRIS-REx Take a Sample from Bennu?
NASA's OSIRIS-REx arrived at asteroid Bennu in December 2018. During the past year, it's been imaging the surface of the…