OSIRIS-REx is ready to get the goods

[smp]

From ScienceMag.org:
"A NASA mission is about to capture carbon-rich dust from a former water world"

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/10 ... ater-world

Very exciting!

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[AntennaGuy]

Cool video tour of Asteroid Bennu, linked from https://www.sciencealert.com/water-once ... roid-bennu .

[Unitron48]

Live events at NASA.gov:

Tuesday, Oct. 20
1:20 to 6:30 p.m. – Live stream animation displaying OSIRIS-REx’s sample collection activities in real time. The animation commences with the spacecraft’s slew into position for the Orbit Departure Maneuver and runs through the entire sequence of TAG events, concluding after the spacecraft’s back-away burn. Event will be broadcast on the mission’s website.
5 to 6:30 p.m. – Live broadcast from Lockheed Martin of OSIRIS-REx’s descent to the surface of Bennu and attempt at sample collection.

Dave

[helicon]

Wow, thanks for the info Dave. I'll have to tune in.

[smp]

Thanks very much for this info, Dave!
I just went to the NASA.gov web site, and they are advertising the live event from 5 PM EDT - how can we get the live stream that starts at 1:30 PM EDT?

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[smp]

Here's an article from Ars Technica today:
"Today’s the big day for NASA’s mission that seeks to pluck asteroid dust"

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/10 ... roid-dust/

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[Unitron48]

Thanks very much for this info, Dave!
I just went to the NASA.gov web site, and they are advertising the live event from 5 PM EDT - how can we get the live stream that starts at 1:30 PM EDT?

smp

That may be a change from when I posted earlier in the day. I see that it now shows 5 PM EDT vice 1:30 PM EDT!

Dave

[smp]

[That may be a change from when I posted earlier in the day. I see that it now shows 5 PM EDT vice 1:30 PM EDT!

Oh, too bad! I think it would have been quite interesting to watch the entire show.

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[AntennaGuy]

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Successfully Touches Asteroid
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa ... s-asteroid

[smp]

Thanks very much for posting this, AntennaGuy.

I thought I had posted a couple of times yesterday evening, once with the links to the Live Simulation and the live show on NASA.gov, and a second time indicating that the touch-and-go had been successful. However, I guess that I was so excited, I must never have submitted either post! I have to get a hold of myself and calm down!

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[helicon]

This is really cool - "contact" with an asteroid....

[smp]

From CNN today:
"NASA successfully collected a sample from asteroid Bennu, but some of it is leaking into space"

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/23/world/as ... index.html

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[smp]

From Space.com:
"NASA asteroid probe is overflowing with space-rock samples"

https://www.space.com/osiris-rex-astero ... verflowing

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[smp]

From SpaceFlightNow.com:
"OSIRIS-REx overflows with asteroid samples after bagging bounty from Bennu"

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/10/23/o ... rom-bennu/

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[helicon]

Thanks for the updates Stephen. One of the more exciting unmanned space missions in recent memory.

[smp]

News Release from NASA.gov:
"NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Successfully Stows Sample of Asteroid Bennu"

"NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission has successfully stowed the spacecraft’s Sample Return Capsule (SRC) and its abundant sample of asteroid Bennu. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, the mission team sent commands to the spacecraft, instructing it to close the capsule – marking the end of one of the most challenging phases of the mission."

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa ... roid-bennu

smp

[helicon]

Great, and now it just needs to come back...