Planets and Moons ID: 11092

Name That Asteroid!

Released on September 4, 2012

The OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission is going to an asteroid to return a sample to Earth. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will launch in 2016, visit the asteroid in 2019-2020 and return a sample to Earth in 2023. Scientists will study the asteroid's orbit, composition, and characteristics to answer questions about the early Solar System, build- ing blocks of life, and potential impact hazards.

Instead of traveling to asteroid (1010955) 1999 RQ36, the asteroid's current name, we're asking for help to find a new name. The Planetary Society, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, and the discovers at MIT's Lincoln Lab, will recommend selected names to the Interna- tional Astronomical Union for selection.

Contestants choose a name, explain their choice and submit the application on the Planetary Society website.

Contest starts Tuesday September 4, 2012. The deadline is Sunday December 2, 2012.

For contest rules, guidelines, and application visit: www.planetary.org/name

Credits

Chris Smith (HTSI): Video Editor
Chris Smith (HTSI): Producer
Dante Lauretta (University of Arizona): Scientist
Chris Smith (HTSI): Videographer
Rob Andreoli (AIMM): Videographer
Chris Smith (HTSI): Writer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Short URL to share this page:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11092

Mission:
OSIRIS-REX

This item is part of this series:
Narrated Movies

Goddard TV Tape:
G2012-093 -- Name That Asteroid!

Keywords:
SVS >> Asteroid
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Music
SVS >> Edited Feature
SVS >> Promo
DLESE >> Narrated
SVS >> OSIRIS-REx
NASA Science >> Planets and Moons