OSIRIS-REx / OSIRIS-APEX
Following the successful delivery of asteroid Bennu samples to Earth in 2023, the spacecraft began an extended mission as OSIRIS-APEX. It is currently traveling toward the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, where it will perform close-up observations during the asteroid's extremely close flyby of Earth in 2029.
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Identity
- Aliases
- OSIRIS-RExOSIRIS-APEX
- Name
- OSIRIS-REx / OSIRIS-APEX
- Status
- active
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- Following the successful delivery of asteroid Bennu samples to Earth in 2023, the spacecraft began an extended mission as OSIRIS-APEX. It is currently traveling toward the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, where it will perform close-up observations during the asteroid's extremely close flyby of Earth in 2029.
- Destination
- Asteroid Apophis, with a planned June 2029 rendezvous and close-up observations after its Earth flyby, including thruster-assisted disturbance of surface rocks and dust to study subsurface material
- Landing Facility
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- Successful primary mission and ongoing extended mission. OSIRIS-REx mapped asteroid Bennu, collected 121.6 grams of rocks and dust during its 2020 Touch-And-Go operation, and delivered the sample capsule to the Utah Test and Training Range in 2023. The surviving spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and is traveling toward a planned June 2029 rendezvous with asteroid Apophis.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 2016-09-08
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-apex/
- Wikipedia Url
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSIRIS-REx
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- April 12, 2026 at 22:31:21 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 22, 2026 at 15:02:39 UTC
- Image
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Other
- Affiliations
- Search Name
- OSIRIS-REx / OSIRIS-APEX OSIRIS-REx OSIRIS-APEX
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles