OSIRIS-REx Sends Back First Images
Thursday, September 29, 2016
![This image, captured by StowCam when OSIRIS-REx was 3.9 million miles away from Earth, prominently features the Sample Return Capsule, which will provide the asteroid sample’s ride back to Earth in 2023. Image courtesy of NASA. This image, captured by StowCam when OSIRIS-REx was 3.9 million miles away from Earth, prominently features the Sample Return Capsule, which will provide the asteroid sample’s ride back to Earth in 2023. Image courtesy of NASA.](https://sie.engineering.arizona.edu/sites/sie.engineering.arizona.edu/files/styles/uaqs_fixed_width/public/StowCam_22September2016_credit-nasa_500x250px.jpg?itok=dN725ePp)
This image, captured by StowCam when OSIRIS-REx was 3.9 million miles away from Earth, prominently features the Sample Return Capsule, which will provide the asteroid sample’s ride back to Earth in 2023. Image courtesy of NASA.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which enjoyed a flawless Sept. 8 launch, has sent back its first images – including a space selfie.
According to SIE alumna and OSIRIS-REx senior operations engineer Sara Knutson, "There were a lot of 'proud parents' in the crowd," when the instrumentation powered up as expected on Sept. 19.
Among them was graduate student Bradley Williams, who helped build the camera suite. "We have some sense of more than just pride," he explained, "but success."