On September 8, 2016 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, OSIRIS-REx
began its journey – NASA’s most ambitious sample collection
Attempt since the Apollo Program. After two years,
including a gravity assist from Earth, the spacecraft arrived at
its destination, asteroid Bennu. As OSIRIS-REx drew near, Bennu
grew in detail from a few tiny pixels to a surprisingly rugged
world, littered with giant boulders. The spacecraft has
used its instrumentation to map the asteroid from all sides,
mapping it in unprecedented detail. The mission team has
been analyzing the data, scouring Bennu’s surface to
select the best sample site. Now, with just months to go
before sample collection, the team has narrowed its target
down to four potential sites.