NASA's OSIRIS-REx

The OSIRIS-REx mission is the first time Canada has participated in an asteroid sample return mission. The mission's goal is to bring a sample of the asteroid Bennu to Earth. Canada's contribution is a lidar instrument designed to create a 3D map of Bennu to assist scientists in selecting a sample site.

A closer look at the carbon-rich Bennu may help answer questions about the formation of our solar system and the origins of life on Earth.