NASA OSIRIS-REx mission aims to depart Bennu in May
Shane McGlaun - Jan 27, 2021, 8:11am CST
NASA has announced that its OSIRIS-REx mission is scheduled to depart from asteroid Bennu and head back to earth on May 10. OSIRIS-REx, which stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer, completed its sample collection mission on October 20, 2020. The spacecraft likely exceeded its requirement to collect two ounces of asteroid material.
NASA expects OSIRIS-REx to deliver its samples to earth on September 24, 2023. OSIRIS-REx project manager Michael Moreau says that leaving the asteroid’s vicinity in May puts the spacecraft in the “sweet spot” when the departure maneuver will consume the least amount of fuel possible. OSIRIS-REx will require over 593 miles per hour of velocity change, marking the spacecraft’s largest propulsive maneuver since approaching Bennu in October 2018.