United Launch Alliance Launched NASA's OSIRIS-REx on its Journey to Bennu

What:

A United Launched Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launched NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on Sept. 8, 2016. After four years, the spacecraft will attempt to make history by performing a Touch-and-Go maneuver on the asteroid Bennu on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and become the first NASA spacecraft to collect a sample from an asteroid.

OSIRIS-REx launched aboard an Atlas V in the 411 configuration, with a 4-meter payload fairing and one solid rocket booster. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers program. The first two missions – New Horizons and Juno – also launched on Atlas V rockets. ULA and our heritage rockets have launched missions to every planet in our solar system, including every U.S.-led mission to Mars, and a few places beyond. To date ULA has launched 140 times with 100 percent mission success. ULA is proud to have been a part of such a significant science mission and NASA's first asteroid sample return mission.

When:

OSIRIS-REx is planned to collect a sample from Bennu on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Details:

• Launch highlights video:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG1pE90ue5w&feature=youtu.be

• Launch photo gallery:

  https://www.flickr.com/photos/ulalaunch/sets/72157714768753178/