NASA's OSIRIS-REx Asteroid-Sampling Mission Ready to Launch Thursday

NASA's first-ever asteroid-sampling spacecraft is poised for an on-time liftoff Thursday evening (Sept. 8), and mission team members said they can't wait. There are no issues with the OSIRIS-REx probe's  United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket or the range at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, just down the road from here, NASA officials said today (Sept. 6). "The Atlas V rocket and range equipment are ready, and the combined government and contractor launch team is prepared to laun