Quincy native to lead live video talk Thursday discussing NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission

QUINCY — The Quincy Astronomy Club will present a live video talk at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27 in room D022/023 at John Wood Community College. Quincy native Beth Buck, a former program manager at Lockheed Martin’s Deep Space Exploration Mission Operations, will present an overview of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. 

This ambitious project to collect and return material from an asteroid was a first for the United States.  The mission spanned a seven-year journey to travel to the asteroid Bennu, conduct detailed mapping of the surface, collect sample materials and successfully return them to Earth.  Lockheed Martin designed, built and operated the spacecraft for NASA. 

Buck’s presentation will include the initial analysis of the material that was returned to Earth 17 months ago and highlight the scientific discoveries that answer the question, “Were the building blocks of life found?”

A graduate of Quincy High School, Buck has a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois. 

The Astronomy Club was formed by local amateur astronomers and seeks to teach, explore, and expand minds about space and our universe. Lectures are held monthly, usually on the last Thursday of the month. The club also holds monthly evening observing sessions. These are scheduled as weather and observing conditions permit. Local amateurs with their telescopes guide the observing sessions.

For more information, contact Susan Asher 217-653-5074 or asherte@yahoo.com.