In 2016 the #OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched on a mission to return samples from an ancient asteroid the size of the Empire State Building back to Earth. The target, Bennu, can be traced back 4.5 billion years making it our solar system’s oldest relic. In the years that followed, a team of scientists led by Dante Lauretta, Principal Investigator and University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Regents Professor have been tracking Bennu’s every move, leading to a successful surface touchdown in May 2021 and culminating in an exciting return to Earth in September 2023.
The conclusion of the OSIRIS-REx mission is just the beginning as the research that follows will shed light on the origins of the universe and life on Earth. OSIRIS-REx: TO BENNU AND BACK highlights the mission’s milestones including the spacecraft design, launch, flight, sample collection and return to Earth through exclusive footage and interviews.
Producer/Director/Writer: John Booth
Videographer: Nate Huffman
Editors: John Booth, Nate Huffman