OSIRIS-REx space probe made final flyover of asteroid Bennu before it returns to Earth OSIRIS-REx spacecraft prepares for return to Earth The spacecraft, which was launched in 2016, collected a sample from the asteroid Bennu in 2020. The spacecraft has since made a final flyover of the asteroid before it begins its journey back to Earth in May. FOX 10's Stephanie Olmo reports. PHOENIX - In 2016, history was made at Cape Canaveral, Fla., when the OSIRIS-REx ( Origins, Regolith E xplorer) spacecraft was launched into space. The spacecraft successfully collected a sample from the asteroid Bennu, and on April 7, it made one last flyover of the asteroid before it began its journey back to earth.