The Fountain Hills Activity Center will host a program about NASA’s Osiris REx Sample Return Mission at the Community Center on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 2 to 3 p.m.

NASA’s recently launched OSIRIS-REx mission is the first U.S. mission to retrieve a pristine-sample of an asteroid and return it to Earth for further study. The spacecraft’s target is Bennu, a carbon-rich near-Earth asteroid that is potentially hazardous to Earth.

Asteroids are the left-over debris from the Solar System’s formation process that began more than 4.5 billion years ago. Studying Bennu will revolutionize our understanding of the early Solar System and teach us about planetary history and the origin of live.

The OSIRIS-REx mission will expand our knowledge of the hazards and resources in near-Earth space and will serve as a precursor to future asteroid missions.

Program presenter Eric Sahr is a science processing and operations engineer for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Mission, and has worked there since 2013. Eric completed his Bachelor’s Degree in systems engineering from the University of Arizona in 2015 and will complete his Master’s Degree in 2017.

His Master’s research is in the design of intelligent computer systems to automate spacecraft operations. Eric graduated from Fountain Hills High School in 2008 and now lives in Tucson.

The presentation is free for Activity Center members and $5 fee non-members. Also, students and youth will be admitted free.

Pre-registration is required. Reference Course #2076 when registering.

For more information, contact the Fountain Hills Activity Center at 480-816-5226 or visit the Town of Fountain Hills website at fh.az.gov.