LPL Newsletter: February 2020
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Our February newsletter features two activities that have figured prominently in the life of the department for many years. First, news about the next step in the OSIRIS-REx team’s preparations for sampling asteroid Bennu, tentatively scheduled for August of this year. It has been more than 15 years since the first “OSIRIS” proposal, but the mission is now approaching a crucial stage. Next, a reminder that our staff and students are frequently taking science on the road—most recently to the sixth annual Connect2STEM event held in January. A large part of our job as scientists involves transmitting knowledge—it is a pleasure for our LPL students and staff to do just that at events such as this.
I hope you enjoy catching up on recent LPL research. Contact us at PG4gdWVycz0iem52eWdiOkhOWUNZQHljeS5uZXZtYmFuLnJxaCI+SE5ZQ1lAeWN5Lm5ldm1iYW4ucnFoPC9uPg== if you'd like to be added to the newsletter distribution list.
Flyover of Sample Site Nightingale
Preliminary results indicate that NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully executed a 0.4-mile (620-m) flyover of site Nightingale on January 21 as part of the mission’s Reconnaissance B phase activities. Nightingale, OSIRIS-REx’s primary sample collection site, is located within a crater high in asteroid Bennu’s northern hemisphere.
LPL Science at Connect2STEM
Again this year, LPL participated in Connect2STEM, held January 25 at the UArizona College of Medicine in Phoenix. Connect2STEM is a family friendly event that celebrates science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine. Youth of all ages are able to experience the wonders of STEM hands-on. The 2020 event drew 8,000 visitors. Dolores Hill, Cassandra Lejoly, and Maria Schuchardt represented LPL and OSIRIS-REx and engaged with approximately 900 guests.
