Asteroid enthusiasts and space scientists are eagerly awaiting a historic event as NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is set to release its precious asteroid sample in the Utah desert. This sample, weighing in at half a pound, contains rocks and dust collected from the surface of asteroid Bennu, providing scientists with an unprecedented glimpse into the conditions during the formation of our sun and planets billions of years ago. The spacecraft, which has traveled over 200 million miles, will release the sample capsule from 63,000 miles above Earth’s surface, and it is expected to make a soft parachute landing on Sunday.
This remarkable mission marks the first-ever U.S. attempt to collect a sample from an asteroid. OSIRIS-REx has managed to gather an impressive 8.8 ounces of material from Bennu, the largest amount ever grabbed by a spacecraft. After its release, the sample capsule will touch down at the Utah Test and Training Range, 80 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. A team of scientists led by Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator of the mission, will be waiting in helicopters to retrieve the samples and carefully document the environment before preparing them for shipment to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Our #OSIRISREx spacecraft is set to deliver NASA’s first pristine asteroid sample on Sunday, Sept. 24. Watch live coverage of reentry and landing starting at 10am ET (1400 UTC): https://t.co/Z9XCBlYOJ0
What else we have planned: https://t.co/9aPAiNGbmn pic.twitter.com/QD8hJh3b9m
— NASA (@NASA) September 19, 2023
Bennu, which is considered one of the most potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids, poses a future threat as it makes close approaches to our planet every six years. NASA reports that in 2135, Bennu could pass even closer to Earth than the moon, with a 1-in-2,700 chance of impacting our planet during one of its close approaches. Understanding and studying this asteroid is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate potential future risks.
The OSIRIS-REx mission is just the first of three groundbreaking asteroid-related events taking place this autumn. On October 5, the spacecraft Psyche is scheduled to launch, aiming to reach the asteroid Psyche, the largest metallic object in our solar system, in July 2029. Additionally, on November 1, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will fly within 265 miles of the asteroid Dinkinesh during its twelve-year voyage, which includes studying ten different asteroids.
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NASA’s mission to gather the Bennu asteroid sample is an important step towards unlocking the mysteries of our solar system’s history. Scientists believe that Bennu may contain organic molecules and potentially even water trapped in its minerals. The samples collected by OSIRIS-REx will be distributed to scientists worldwide, enabling them to study how our planet and solar system formed, as well as the origins of organic compounds that could have played a role in the development of life on Earth.
As we eagerly await the unveiling of the asteroid sample, NASA’s commitment to space exploration remains firm. The agency has invested in multiple missions focused on studying asteroids, recognizing the invaluable knowledge they hold about our solar system’s past. These missions will provide vital insights into our cosmic origins and contribute to a deeper understanding of our place in the universe.
