A NASA mission to bring back samples from an asteroid, launched in 2016 September; the name is short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer. After an Earth swingby in 2017 September it reached the Apollo asteroid Bennu in 2018 October. OSIRIS-REx will map the asteroid’s shape and topography with a laser altimeter, OLA, provided by the Canadian Space Agency, before descending to collect a surface sample with a robotic arm, the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM). The sample will be placed in a sample return capsule for the return to Earth. OSIRIS-REx will leave Bennu in 2021 March and arrive back at Earth in 2023 September, where the capsule will be released for re-entry and recovery.

http://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex NASA website about the mission.

http://www.asteroidmission.org Mission website at the university of Arizona.