NASA's OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Explorer takes Flight
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V Rocket is set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Thursday at 23:05 UTC to embark on an hour-long climb to boost the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return spacecraft beyond Earth's gravitational influence and out into the inner solar system. OSIRIS-REx sets out on a seven-year journey to return a sample from the dawn of the Solar System to explore how the building blocks for the formation of life were delivered to Earth.
| Launch Date: September 8, 2016 | Mission Updates |
| Window: 23:05 - 01:00 UTC | Countdown Timeline |
| Launch Site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral | Atlas V 411 Rocket |
| Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 411 | Launch Profile |
| Payload: OSIRIS-REx (1,210kg) | OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft |
| Ascent Duration: 55 to 59 Minutes | Mission Profile |
| Launch Period: 34 Days | Instrument Overview |