AIAA Statement on the OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Mission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 25, 2023 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“Congratulations to NASA on the successful return of its first asteroid sample to Earth! We were thrilled watching the OSIRIS-REx mission (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) touch down in Utah with its precious cargo onboard. We are eagerly following the scientists’ work studying the samples in the coming weeks.

We believe the OSIRIS-REx mission is part of our human drive to learn more about our universe and our place in it. We look forward to hearing the science findings that will help us better understand planet formation and the origin of organics and water that led to life on Earth, as well as the potential hazards from asteroids. This mission will benefit everyone on Earth.

We commend the entire OSIRIS-REx team, including AIAA Corporate Member Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, who built the spacecraft and provided flight operations. Congratulations to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Arizona, Tucson, and KinetX Aerospace. We applaud the international partnership on this mission with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we recognize the professionals in the aerospace industry involved in making this mission a success. We recognize the OSIRIS-REx team for making important contributions to shaping the future of aerospace.”

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, RebeccaG@AIAA.org, 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Banner Image: The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission touched down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Utah Test and Training Range. | Credit: Keegan Barber; NASA