In the Clean Room: Up-Close Look at NASA's Asteroid-Sampling Probe OSIRIS-REx

OSIRIS-REx deputy project scientist Christina Richey explains the path the spacecraft will take to the asteroid Bennu.

Christina Richey holds a 3D-printed model of Bennu.

OSIRIS-REx principal investigator Dante Lauretta poses in front of the payload fairing. He has been working on this project since 2004 and said he is excited for the launch.

Rex Englelhardt, mission manager for NASA’s Launch Services Program, has been leading the team that services the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

OSIRIS-REx is set to launch on Sept. 8, 2016 to chase down the asteroid Bennu.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is scheduled to be encapsulated in its payload fairing this week.

Rich Kuhns, OSIRIS-REx program manager for Lockheed Martin, points to the TAGSAM, a robotic arm that will gather a sample of the asteroid Bennu.

The Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC has a rich history. Many high-profile science missions were processed here, including NASA’s previous two robotic sample- return missions :– Stardust and Genesis.