SpaceMiningData
SpacecraftNear-Earth asteroidEnded

OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer)

Turn Bennu, the asteroid OSIRIS-REx sampled, in 3D (from NASA's shape model) · See its sample site before and after the touch · Explore how its sampler worked (illustrative 3D)

Turn Apophis in 3D: a preliminary radar shape of a mission target

NASA spacecraft launched on 8 September 2016 that collected material from near-Earth asteroid Bennu and delivered 121.6 grams to Earth on 24 September 2023. NASA's initial analysis reported high carbon content and water-bearing clay minerals; the spacecraft continues as OSIRIS-APEX toward asteroid Apophis (2029).

Objective. Return a sample of carbon-rich asteroid Bennu; NASA lists 'Resource Identification' (mapping the chemistry and mineralogy of a primitive, carbon-rich asteroid) among the mission's objectives.

Sampled

See Bennu in 3D

Facts

Kind
Spacecraft
Mission type
Sample return
Target
Near-Earth asteroidAsteroid (101955) BennuWhat NASA/JPL lists for 101955 Bennu (1999 RQ36)
Launch
2016-09-08
Phase
EndedSample delivered 2023-09-24; the spacecraft's follow-on OSIRIS-APEX mission is out of scope here.
Outcome
SuccessBasis: agency statement
Why it is included
Stated resource objective

Outcome statement (agency statement)

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered 4.29 ounces (121.6 grams) of material from asteroid Bennu when it returned to Earth on Sep. 24, 2023

What comes next

This mission has ended.

Participants

Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.

OrganizationRole
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationOperator

Resources and evidence

ResourceEvidence
RegolithSampled

Open evidence gaps

  • Inclusion rests on NASA's named 'Resource Identification' objective; no peer-reviewed resource-framed finding is cited on this record.

Sources

5 excerpts from 4 publications

One web address counts as one publication.

  1. [1]OSIRIS-REx
    NASA ScienceGovernment recordAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: launch date
    Launched on Sept. 8, 2016, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  2. [2]What's in a Name? New Mission, Age-old Questions
    NASA ScienceGovernment recordPublished 2016-09-08Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: objective, why it is included
    Resource Identification - Map the chemistry and mineralogy of a primitive, carbon-rich asteroid.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  3. [3]NASA Announces OSIRIS-REx Bulk Sample Mass
    NASA ScienceGovernment recordPublished 2024-02-15Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: outcome, resources
    NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered 4.29 ounces (121.6 grams) of material from asteroid Bennu when it returned to Earth on Sep. 24, 2023
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  4. [4]NASA's Bennu Asteroid Sample Contains Carbon, Water
    NASAGovernment recordPublished 2023-10-11Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: summary
    The bounty of carbon-rich material and the abundant presence of water-bearing clay minerals are just the tip of the cosmic iceberg.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  5. [5]OSIRIS-REx
    NASA ScienceGovernment recordAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: phase
    the spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and sent on a new mission to explore asteroid Apophis in 2029
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.

Cite this record

SpaceMiningData, “OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer)”, dataset version a00fa2c68a45, built 2026-11-11, https://spaceminingdata.com/missions/nasa-osiris-rex.html. Record checked 2026-09-25.