CAPE CANAVERAL: After a one-day delay to allow for more mouse food to arrive from California, the Falcon 9 lifted a Dragon capsule bearing the CRS-16 mission towards the ISS at 1:16 PM EST on December 5, 2018 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This is NASA's sixth cargo mission to the ISS in 2018 and SpaceX's 20th launch in 2018.
Read MoreThe Security Aspect of the OSIRIS-REx Mission
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft acronym stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer. "Security" means that scientists are trying to assess if asteroid Bennu is a threat to crash into the Earth during a series of close passes in the 2180-2250 time frame.
Read MoreWhat's Next as OSIRIS-REx Approaches Asteroid Bennu
After travelling for over 23 months, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has begun an approach phase to rendezvous with asteroid Bennu. Here are key milestones between now and the December 31, 2018 orbital insertion around Bennu:
Read MoreSuccessful Milestone: OSIRIS-REx Takes Its First Photo of Asteroid Bennu
Launched on September 8, 2016, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft began its approach phase to asteroid Bennu on August 17, 2018. The photograph shows Bennu as a point of light and was taken from 1,358,459 miles away.
Read MoreStunning, full color photo book covering every east coast launch spanning 2014-2015, including the first-ever powered landing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
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