NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission Team Garners Prestigious Collier Trophy
In a remarkable achievement for American aerospace, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) mission team has been awarded the esteemed Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). This prestigious accolade is presented annually to recognize the most significant aerospace or astronautic achievement in the United States. The OSIRIS-REx team is set to be honored at a celebratory dinner on June 13, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
The NAA has acknowledged the groundbreaking efforts of the OSIRIS-REx team by awarding them the Robert J. Collier Trophy. This recognition comes as a result of the mission’s historic achievement as the first U.S. endeavor to collect and return a sample from an asteroid to Earth, marking a monumental moment in aerospace history.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson extended his congratulations to the OSIRIS-REx team, stating, “This honor is well-deserved. NASA has once again demonstrated its capability to achieve monumental tasks, inspiring not just the nation but the entire world. We eagerly anticipate the scientific discoveries that will deepen our understanding of our solar system and aid in protecting humanity on Earth.”
The Collier Trophy has a storied history of over a century, celebrating significant milestones in aviation and space exploration. Notable recipients include Orville Wright for his invention of the automatic stabilizer in 1913, Chuck Yeager for breaking the sound barrier in 1947, and the crews of NASA’s Apollo missions to the Moon. The trophy has also been awarded to the team behind NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.
The OSIRIS-REx mission is a collaborative effort involving NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, Lockheed Martin in Colorado, the University of Arizona in Tucson, and KinetX in Arizona. The mission’s success in delivering a sample from the ancient asteroid Bennu in September 2023 offers researchers a unique window into the early solar system, shedding light on planet formation and the origins of life-sustaining organics on Earth. The collected data and future analysis of the Bennu sample will also enhance our understanding of potentially hazardous asteroids.
Adding to its accolades, the OSIRIS-REx team recently received the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy in March 2024. Following its triumphant sample return, the spacecraft has been renamed OSIRIS-APEX and is slated for an extended mission to explore the near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029.
The mission is managed by NASA Goddard, with significant contributions from the University of Arizona, Lockheed Martin Space, and KinetX Aerospace. International partners include the Canadian Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. OSIRIS-REx represents the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, overseen by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.
For more information about the groundbreaking OSIRIS-REx mission, visit [NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission page](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-rex).
By Rob Gutro, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. For further inquiries, contact Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov or reach out to Karen Fox and Charles Blue at NASA Headquarters, Washington, at 202-358-1257 / 202-802-5345.