NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Returns to Earth with Bennu Asteroid Sample

The NASA spacecraft successfully completes its mission, bringing a sample of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu back to our planet.

A Successful Return:

• On Sunday, a NASA spacecraft, known as the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx), accomplished its mission by returning to Earth.
• The spacecraft carried a capsule containing precious pieces collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, which separated from OSIRIS-REx and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.

A Safe Landing:

• The capsule descended with the aid of parachutes and safely touched down in the Utah Test and Training Range, situated in Utah’s West Desert.
• Scientists were quick to recover the sample from the landing site, marking a significant milestone in the mission’s success.
• The collected sample will now be transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for further analysis and study.

The OSIRIS-REx Mission:

• OSIRIS-REx was launched on September 8, 2016, embarking on a remarkable journey to reach the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, formerly designated as 1999 RQ36.
• On October 20, 2020, the spacecraft made a historic landing on Bennu, utilizing its robotic arm to gather a sample of rocks and dust from the asteroid’s surface.
• NASA’s mission aimed to provide valuable insights into the formation of planets, the origins of life, and enhance our understanding of asteroids that pose potential threats to Earth.

The successful return of OSIRIS-REx and its Bennu asteroid sample marks a significant achievement for NASA and the scientific community, opening new doors for research and discovery.