The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was launched in order to collect sample data from the asteroid Bennu. It was launched on September 8, 2016 and on December 3, 2018, it had reached Bennu. In the course of the mission, the spacecraft was able to break the record for the closest orbit of a planetary body by a spacecraft.
The maneuver began the mission’s new phase, known as Orbital B, and placed the spacecraft in an orbit 680 meters (2,231 feet) above the surface of asteroid Bennu. The previous record—also set by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft—was approximately 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) above the surface.
Upon arrival at Bennu, the team observed particles ejecting into space from the asteroid’s surface. To better understand why this is occurring, the first two weeks of Orbital B will be devoted to observing these events by taking frequent images of the asteroid’s horizon.
The mission timeline will last until September 24, 2023 with the return of the spacecraft carrying the sample back to Earth.
(Image credit: NASA)