Armstrong Museum hosts seminar for Lockheed Martin

OSIRIS-REx is the first U.S. space mission to collect a sample from an asteroid. The NASA spacecraft is to return to Earth September 24, 2023. This years-long endeavor would not be possible without significant funding and technology provided by Lockheed Martin, who visited Wapakoneta’s Armstrong Air and Space Museum midday Thursday.

As the leading financial contributor to NASA, representatives from corporate giant Lockheed Martin held a presentation at the Wapak museum titled “Supporting OSIRIS-REx Mission Operations with Lockheed Martin Digital Twin,” inviting all museum

patrons.

The spacecraft and mission share the name: OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer). NASA explains, “The pristine material from Bennu – rocks and dust collected from the asteroid’s surface in 2020 – will offer generations of scientists a window into the time when the Sun and planets were forming about 4.5 billion years ago.”

“The museum was pleased to have Lockheed Martin as our guest speaker,” expressed Museum Curator and Communications Director Logan Rex. “Being able to take a deeper dive into these daring projects allows us to appreciate the people behind the mission. We hope that we continue to partner with other organizations who are leading the way in space exploration.”

As of today, OSIRIS-REx has accomplished historical feats– the spacecraft launched in 2016, began orbiting and studying asteroid Bennu in 2018, retrieved samples of the asteroid in 2020, and is currently enroute towards a calculated landing in the deserts of Utah.

Wielding a cash flow of 7.8 billion USD, Lockheed Martin’s mission statement is to “solve complex challenges, advance scientific discovery and deliver innovative solutions that help our customers keep people safe.” The corporation specializes in advanced technologies such as aeronautics, missiles and defense systems, and space, attaining its largest percentage of sales from the U.S. Department of Defense.

“Lockheed Martin has been a critical partner in the OSIRIS-Rex mission,” says Christopher Moynihan, the

Director of Education and Guest Experience at the Armstrong Museum. “The museum is excited that we have this opportunity to listen to Lockheed Martin and get an indepth discussion about their contributions to the project.”

To learn about OSIRIS-Rex mission, visit: NASA.gov/ osiris-rex.