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NASA formally ends OSIRIS-REx mission, while returned asteroid samples remain under study

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NASA formally concluded its OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission on Sept. 30, 2026, after the spacecraft returned pieces of an asteroid to Earth. The mission’s operational close does not end its scientific work: researchers expect to study the returned material for decades.

Discovered 2026-10-20T03:05:50.189816-07:00 | 2026-10-20T03:05:50.189816-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The mission’s formal end marks a transition from spacecraft operations to long-term analysis of the returned asteroid material.
  • Scientists’ planned decades of study mean the mission’s research output will continue well beyond the close of operations.

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2026-10-20T03:05:50.189816-07:00
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2026-10-20T03:05:50.189816-07:00
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