Myth and Spaceflight - Celebrating science and Tucson on the eve of asteroid contact

[Ptah]

After spending more than two years in space and traveling more than 1.5 million miles, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is getting a party. On Dec. 3, OSIRIS-REx is planned to arrive at Bennu, a 1,614-foot asteroid and the target of a seven-year mission to return space samples to Earth.

But just prior to that, on Dec. 1, the University of Arizona and several other Tucson establishments are joining together to host Bennuval! (a portmanteau of Bennu and arrival), a celebration of science, humanities, curiosity and the myths behind the mission.

"We seek to show the beauty of the arts and science together," said event emcee and Meteorite Men host Geoff Notkin. "We're also thematically tying everything together with the theme of 'myth.'"

OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) and Bennu are both named after ancient Egyptian deities, and Pearce Paul Creasman, UA associate professor of Egyptian archaeology, will present on the myths and their relation to the space mission. Bennuval! will also feature presentations by OSIRIS-REx principal investigator and UA professor Dante Lauretta, improv comedy group Unscrewed Theater, composer Chris Black and more.

https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/cover-story/Content?special=1125844