OSIRIS REx’s solar arrays are providing power and the spacecraft is communicating with controllers on Earth, according to Geoffrey Yoder, acting associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
“Everything is working thus far,” Yoder reported. “It’s a great day for the space program.”
This concludes live countdown coverage, but stay tuned to NASA TV for a post-launch news conference scheduled for 9 p.m. at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Visit www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex and www.asteroidmission.org for updates during OSIRIS-REx’s journey to Bennu – and back.