OSIRIS-REx Tech – Surveying an Asteroid with Light

The Osiris Rex mission aims to collect and return a sample from asteroid Bennu, a primitive solar system body. Equipped with advanced instruments like the Oliviers spectrometer, the mission seeks to uncover the origins of the solar system by analyzing Bennu's composition. The mission faces challenges such as designing durable instruments for space and rigorous testing to ensure launch readiness. The returned samples will be studied globally, providing insights for decades.

Describe the challenges faced by instruments like OLIVIERS during the launch process.

What are the expected outcomes of analyzing the samples returned from Bennu?