The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully returned the first asteroid sample to Earth. The sample, which is estimated to weigh 8.8 ounces (250 grams), is being transported in its unopened canister by aircraft to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it will be studied by scientists from around the world.
The delivery of the asteroid sample is a major milestone for NASA and the global scientific community. It is the first time that a spacecraft has collected and returned a sample from an asteroid, and the data from the sample will provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched in 2016 and arrived at the asteroid Bennu in 2018. It spent two years studying Bennu and mapping its surface in preparation for sample collection. In October 2020, the spacecraft successfully collected a sample of Bennu’s surface material.
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OSIRIS-REx departed Bennu in May 2021 and began its journey back to Earth. On September 24, 2023, the spacecraft released its sample capsule, which landed safely in the Utah desert. The capsule was then transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where it is now being prepared for study.
Scientists are eager to begin studying the asteroid sample. They hope that the sample will provide insights into the composition and formation of Bennu, as well as the potential for asteroids to harbor organic matter or even life. The data from the sample could also help scientists to better understand the risks posed by asteroids to Earth.
The return of the asteroid sample is a major achievement for NASA and the global scientific community. It is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, and it promises to yield new and valuable insights into our solar system.
“Today marks an extraordinary milestone not just for the OSIRIS-REx team but for science as a whole,” said Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona, Tucson. “Successfully delivering samples from Bennu to Earth is a triumph of collaborative ingenuity and a testament to what we can accomplish when we unite with a common purpose. But let’s not forget – while this may feel like the end of an incredible chapter, it’s truly just the beginning of another. We now have the unprecedented opportunity to analyze these samples and delve deeper into the secrets of our solar system.”
