/sci/ - Science & Math

Long informative article about OSIRIS-REx from ars, shorter one about OSIRIS-REx from foust,
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https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/09/nasas-asteroid-sampling-mission-is-on-course-for-landing-this-weekend/
>NASA’s asteroid sampling mission is on course for landing this weekend
> The spacecraft trajectory and performance have just been spot on."
> A NASA spacecraft will complete a round-trip journey to an asteroid this weekend, returning to Earth after a seven-year voyage to bring back unspoiled rock specimens from an alien world that could yield insights into the formation of life.
> OSIRIS-REx is an acronym that stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification-Regolith Explorer. That's a lot to unpack, but it's sufficient to say the mission is all about bringing asteroid material back to Earth for detailed analyses in research laboratories, which boast capabilities far beyond even the most sophisticated science instrument on a spacecraft.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdwyqctp908 (30h until stream start)
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https://spacenews.com/nasa-ready-for-osiris-rex-sample-return/
> NASA ready for OSIRIS-REx sample return
> If all goes according to plan, project officials said they expect to open the sample canister itself by Sept. 26 at the JSC curation facility. NASA has planned an Oct. 11 event at JSC to publicly unveil the samples.
> That schedule, though, could be jeopardized by factors outside the mission’s control. The federal government is heading towards a shutdown at the start of the new fiscal year Oct. 1 unless Congress can pass a short-term spending bill called a continuing resolution. The White House Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agencies Sept. 22 to update their shutdown guidance plans.
>At the briefing, Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s planetary science division, said that the samples would remain safe in the event of a shutdown but that work to study them could be suspended.