Karman Bares Part in OSIRIS-Rex Mission Launch

Karman Space & Defense has detailed its part in NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex launch and the first-ever retrieval of asteroid samples from space that the mission delivered in September. 

Hailing the mission’s success in a press statement Tuesday, Karman disclosed that its contribution included the parachute mortar system that was used for the controlled landing of the capsule ferrying asteroid samples back to Earth.

The sample collection, sourced from the asteroid Bennu, will be used to analyze the solar system’s origins and potential hazards from near-Earth objects, Karman said.

Other contributions from Karman included the large metallic skirt panels on the Atlas V launch rocket that provided structural support to the vehicle and the protective nose fairings of the solid rocket booster.

According to Karman CEO Tony Koblinski, the company continues its manufacturing and engineering support to United Launch Alliance’s Atlas and Vulcan missions. He added that his team is looking for “additional opportunities to support the launch and space industry in various capacities and contribute to the expansion of human knowledge beyond Earth’s boundaries.”