NASA Concludes Historic OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sampling Mission After Returning Bennu Material to Earth
NASA has formally concluded the OSIRIS-REx mission, marking the end of the historic U.S. effort to collect and return a pristine asteroid sample to Earth.
NASA has formally concluded the OSIRIS-REx mission, marking the end of the historic U.S. effort to collect and return a pristine asteroid sample to Earth. The van-sized spacecraft launched in September 2016 and targeted Bennu, an ancient space rock holding organic building blocks from the solar system's formation.
Principal Investigator Dante Lauretta noted that the mission overcame multiple unexpected hurdles, including a rocky asteroid surface that behaved more like fluid than solid ground. The probe successfully gathered 4.29 ounces of material, exceeding mission requirements despite a jammed sample lid and a parachute issue during the 2023 Utah landing.
The returned sample has already yielded more than 200 research papers, revealing amino acids, sugars, and evidence of liquid water. Most of the material is preserved for future study, while the spacecraft itself has been renamed OSIRIS-APEX and is currently traveling toward another near-Earth asteroid named Apophis for a 2029 arrival.
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Original publication: 20 October 2026 15:30
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