NASA Explorers Season 6, Episode 1: Launch

OSIRIS-REx's goal is to travel to the asteroid Bennu, collect a sample, and return it to Earth. Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid that is thought to be a remnant of the early solar system. By studying a sample of Bennu, scientists hope to learn more about the formation of our solar system and the origins of life.

The OSIRIS-REx mission was launched in 2016 and arrived at Bennu in 2018. The spacecraft spent two years studying the asteroid and collecting data. In October 2020, OSIRIS-REx successfully touched down on Bennu and collected a sample of regolith, the loose material that covers the asteroid's surface. The spacecraft is now on its way back to Earth, and is scheduled to arrive in 2023.

The OSIRIS-REx mission is a major milestone in our exploration of the solar system. The samples that the spacecraft will return to Earth will be studied by scientists around the world, and will help us to answer some of the most fundamental questions about our universe.

Here are some additional details about the OSIRIS-REx mission:

The spacecraft is named after Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld.
Bennu is named after the Bennu bird, an Egyptian mythical bird that was said to rise from the ashes of its predecessor.
The OSIRIS-REx mission is the first time that a spacecraft has been sent to collect a sample from an asteroid and return it to Earth.