Transitioning to Arizona State University for his postdoctoral work, Dr. Lauretta embarked on crucial research analyzing the mineral composition and formation processes of meteorites and asteroids. His pivotal move to the University of Arizona in 2001 marked the beginning of his most significant contributions as a faculty member within the historic Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.

Dr. Lauretta’s exceptional work in cosmochemistry led to his selection as the Principal Investigator (PI) for NASA’s groundbreaking New Frontiers OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission in 2011. This ambitious endeavor aimed to explore one of the most potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids, Bennu. United Launch Alliance collaborated with Lauretta’s team, launching the historic mission in September 2016, initiating OSIRIS-REx’s journey toward Bennu. The Lockheed-Martin built spacecraft successfully reached Bennu in 2018, collected a sample in 2020, and commenced its return journey to Earth in May 2021. The samples successfully landed on Earth on September 24, 2023. Analysis of this material has already revealed profound insights about the formation of the solar system and the origin of the Earth as a habitable world.