# OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return to Earth **URL:** \ **Category:** The Happening World\ **Tags:** asteroid, osiris-rex, sample-return, space, 101955-bennu\ **Created:** [22 September 2023 15:39 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-to-earth/3774 "2023-09-22T15:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/user_avatar/scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/johnwalker/32/17415_2.png) [@johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/u/johnwalker)\ **Post date:** [22 September 2023 15:39 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-to-earth/3774/1 "2023-09-22T15:39:11Z")
[![](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/2X/3/3f4d03cb2950c87a14e5840091cdc0707dad1502.jpeg "OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return (Official 4K NASA Broadcast)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdwyqctp908) On 2023-09-24 NASA expects its [OSIRIS-REx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft to return a sample collected from the [carbonaceous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-type_asteroid) asteroid [101955 Bennu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101955_Bennu) in October 2020. The sample collected is believed to be between 400 and 1000 grams, but may be as small as 60 grams. The spacecraft will release its sample return capsule on a trajectory to hit the Earth’s atmosphere at 14:42 UTC on 2023-09-24, and it is expected to land at around 15:00 UTC in the Utah desert. After releasing the sample capsule, the main spacecraft bus will make a trajectory correction causing it to miss the Earth and perform a gravity assist sending it toward a rendezvous with near-Earth and potentially hazardous asteroid [99942 Apophis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis) in April 2029, when it will enter an orbit around the asteroid for 18 months of observations. NASA’s live Webcast of the sample return landing will start at 14:00 UTC on 2023-09-24. ---
**Author:** ![johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/user_avatar/scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/johnwalker/32/17415_2.png) [@johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/u/johnwalker)\ **Post date:** [22 September 2023 15:42 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-to-earth/3774/2 "2023-09-22T15:42:35Z")
![image](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/2X/f/fedabaf1658ddf02ab19b172c36e056f059bfe93.png) ![image](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/2X/b/ba1be704e71041ded002b4bf23bc3fbb315fbcea.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![civilwestman](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/user_avatar/scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/civilwestman/32/25_2.png) [@civilwestman](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/u/civilwestman)\ **Post date:** [22 September 2023 15:45 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-to-earth/3774/3 "2023-09-22T15:45:06Z")
I’ll be wearing my Yogi Berra catcher’s mitt in observance. ---
**Author:** ![johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/user_avatar/scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/johnwalker/32/17415_2.png) [@johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/u/johnwalker)\ **Post date:** [24 September 2023 12:11 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-to-earth/3774/4 "2023-09-24T12:11:28Z")
**Here it comes!** (_Grrrr!_ Image is too big for Discourse to upload. Click link to display.) [https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/OsirisRex23Seot2023\_masi\_VTP\_2.gif](https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/OsirisRex23Seot2023_masi_VTP_2.gif) Image captured by [The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0](https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/). > **[Nasa’s OSIRIS-REx filmed at its flyby with the Earth - 23 Sept. 2023 - The...](https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2023/09/24/nasas-osiris-rex-filmed-at-its-flyby-with-the-earth-23-sept-2023/)** > > We imaged the Nasa’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during its 23-24 Sept. 2023 flyby, delivering its precious sample of asteroid Bennu- > The image above comes from the combination of 14, 60-second unfiltered exposures, remotely taken with the **[Celestron C14+Paramount ME+SBIG ST8-XME](https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/the-celestron-360mm-schmidt-cassegrain-telescope-on-paramount-me/)** robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project facility in Manciano, Italy. > > We relied on our advanced telescope Paramount ME mount, pointing and tracking the spacecraft thanks to the ephemerides provided by the [Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Horizons service](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/). > > At the imaging time, **OSIRIS-REx** was extremely low (14 degrees!) above our Southern horizon, with wind and clouds. Despite this, we could clearly spot it and share the view with thousands of people from all around the planet in real time. Using the same set of frames, we managed to create the time-lapse above. The sample return capsule has separated from the spacecraft bus, and “Newton is in the driver’s seat” from here on. The carrier spacecraft has performed its divert maneuver and is headed for its Earth fly-by on the way to Apophis in 2029. Live stream starts at 14:00 UTC on 2023-09-24. ---
**Author:** ![johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/user_avatar/scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/johnwalker/32/17415_2.png) [@johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/u/johnwalker)\ **Post date:** [25 September 2023 15:08 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-to-earth/3774/5 "2023-09-25T15:08:31Z")
[![image](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/2X/9/9746a07da5d8666e9683547a69f316afb6863a47.jpeg)](https://twitter.com/StarTalkRadio/status/1706281885230395691) [![image](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/2X/a/ad2f9529b7497f0b6f496279299bdbad2423be0c.jpeg)](https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1706089236527567329) ---
**Author:** ![johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/user_avatar/scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/johnwalker/32/17415_2.png) [@johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/u/johnwalker)\ **Post date:** [25 September 2023 15:45 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-to-earth/3774/6 "2023-09-25T15:45:54Z")
Earlier, a telescope at Siding Spring, Australia captured the separation of of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule from the main spacecraft bus. The spacecraft was a 14th [magnitude](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_magnitude) object at the time. This is around the brightness of Pluto as seen from the Earth, and 725 times dimmer than the dimmest star visible to the naked eye under perfect dark sky conditions. [![](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5e847fefea3ad4aefaa8d78671229923f725f188.jpeg "OSIRIS-REx Separation Event") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjoWdUX8jHY) ---
**Author:** ![johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/user_avatar/scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/johnwalker/32/17415_2.png) [@johnwalker](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/u/johnwalker)\ **Post date:** [11 October 2023 21:10 UTC](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-to-earth/3774/7 "2023-10-11T21:10:12Z")
On 2023-10-11 NASA held a presentation at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to reveal the sample returned from asteroid 101955 Bennu. [![](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1a2c0a492552963b5932181c7c93d074d7b95aba.jpeg "Revealing the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample (Official NASA Broadcast in 4K)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFvIuSpACQA) Here are scanning electron microscope images of material in the sample, rich in carbon compounds, water, and iron. ![image](https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e1d601962e1a5a3357e6cad2d64eb75889cd486a.jpeg)