NEWTOWN, Conn. - NASA's OSIRIS-REx program has successfully completed a comprehensive technical review of the mission and has been given approval to begin building the spacecraft, flight instruments, and ground system. Lockheed Martin is responsible for development of the spacecraft, which will be sent to a near-Earth asteroid to collect and return samples.
This milestone was achieved after a successful mission critical design review (CDR) for the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission. The CDR was held at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Littleton, Colo., April 1-9. The review was performed by an independent review board, comprised of experts from NASA and several external organizations, that validated the detailed design of the spacecraft, instruments and ground system.
OSIRIS-REx is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2016, rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu in 2018 and spend a year of reconnaissance at the asteroid, before collecting a sample of at least 2 ounces (60 grams) and returning it to Earth for scientists to study in 2023.
The mission is part of NASA's New Frontiers program. In addition to OSIRIS-REx, funding for the New Frontiers program will also support the New Horizons and Juno missions. New Horizons is currently traveling to Pluto to study the dwarf planet and other objects in the Kuiper Belt. Juno is traveling to Jupiter to study the gas giant.
NASA currently has plans to launch a fourth New Frontiers mission. However, budget constraints have made the timeline more uncertain. Originally, NASA planned to release an announcement of opportunity (AO) in 2015 for the fourth mission. However, NASA planners now believe the AO could be delayed by at least one year. A launch is now not expected until 2023 in order to accommodate a later start and less available funding for development.
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