Planets and Moons  ID: 12309

OSIRIS-REx Technology: OVIRS

Released on July 25, 2016
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OSIRIS-REx will use its visible and infrared spectrometer (OVIRS) to study the chemical composition of Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid that may hold clues to the origins of life.

Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.

Complete transcript available.

NASA is sending the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to explore near-Earth asteroid Bennu, a carbon-rich body that may contain clues to the origins of life. When OSIRIS-REx arrives at Bennu in 2018, it will spend over a year orbiting the asteroid and studying it with a suite of remote sensing instruments. The OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer, or OVIRS, will look at Bennu's spectral signature to detect organics and other minerals. After OVIRS and its fellow instruments have thoroughly surveyed Bennu, OSIRIS-REx will descend to the asteroid's surface, collect a sample, and return it to Earth in 2023.

Learn more about the OVIRS instrument.
Visit the OSIRIS-REx mission website.
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Animated diagram of the OVIRS spectrometer, tracing the path of light through the instrument.
Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab/Walt Feimer
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The OVIRS instrument will allow OSIRIS-REx to hunt for organic molecules on asteroid Bennu.

Credit: NASA/Goddard/Dan Gallagher

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OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS)
Credit: NASA/Goddard/Bill Hrybyk
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Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center put the finishing touches on OVIRS.
Credit: NASA/Goddard/Bill Hrybyk
 

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Bennu's Journey
OSIRIS-REx Animations

For More Information

NASA.gov

Credits

Dennis Reuter (NASA/GSFC):
Scientist
Interviewee

Amy A. Simon (NASA/GSFC):
Scientist
Interviewee

Dan Gallagher (USRA):
Producer
Narrator
Editor

Katrina Jackson (USRA):
Producer
Editor

Chris Meaney (HTSI):
Animator

Walt Feimer (HTSI):
Animator

Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (USRA):
Animator

Lisa Poje (USRA):
Animator

Michael Lentz (USRA):
Animator

Rob Andreoli (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.):
Videographer

John Caldwell (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.):
Videographer

Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.):
Project Support

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12309

Mission:
OSIRIS-REX

This item is part of these series:
Narrated Movies
OSIRIS-REx Technology

Keywords:
SVS >> Asteroid
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Infrared
SVS >> Instrument
SVS >> Spectrum
DLESE >> Technology
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Spectral/Engineering >> Visible Wavelengths
SVS >> Edited Feature
SVS >> Interview
SVS >> OSIRIS-REx
SVS >> Spectrometer
NASA Science >> Planets and Moons
SVS >> Bennu

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0