Announcements

Rescheduled for:

Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 at 12:00-1:00 PM

Dr. Lauretta will discuss the findings from the first set of data from analysis of the samples returned from near-Earth asteroid Bennu.  Dr. Lauretta heads the OSIRIS-REx research team at the University of Arizona working on this mission, which has included more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students.  This project will help ensure that the University of Arizona remains at the forefront of planetary exploration for the next decade.  The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched in September 2016 and began its journey to Bennu, a carbon-rich, near-Earth asteroid.  The spacecraft rendezvoused with Bennu in 2018 and successfully obtained a sample in October 2020. The spacecraft embarked on its return voyage to Earth on May 10, 2021. On Sept. 24, 2023, the spacecraft will jettison the sample capsule and send it onto a trajectory to touch down in the Utah desert.  Sample analysis will continue until 2025. These samples will be the first for a U.S. mission and may hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the organic molecules that may have seeded life on Earth.  Dr. Lauretta will discuss the initial findings from analysis of these samples returned from Bennu.

Dante Lauretta is principal investigator of the OSIRIS-REx mission and a regents professor of planetary science at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.  His research interests focus on the chemistry and mineralogy of asteroids and comets, and he is an expert in the analysis of extraterrestrial materials, including asteroid samples, meteorites and comet particles.

Dr. Lauretta fosters the advancement of the next generation of scientists, engineers, and other space leaders through mentorship and taught coursework which apply his expertise in planetary science and spacecraft mission design & implementation.

The presentation will be on Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM PST via Zoom. The Zoom link for the meeting is posted below.