Dante S. Lauretta

Dante Lauretta is a Professor of Planetary Science and Cosmochemistry at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. He is an expert in near-Earth asteroid formation and evolution. He is the leader of NASA's OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return mission. OSIRIS-REx is the United States' premier mission to visit one of the most Potentially Hazardous near-Earth Asteroids, survey it to assess its impact hazard and resource potential, understand its physical and chemical properties, and return a sample of this body to Earth for detailed scientific analysis. This mission launched 9/8/2016 and will rendezvous with asteroid Bennu in 2018. Sample return to Earth occurs in 2023. He also maintains an active research program in Cosmochemistry and Meteoritics.