NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft is set to make history as it returns to Earth with samples of the oldest materials in our solar system. After a successful mission spanning over four years, Osiris-Rex is scheduled to touch down on Sunday morning, bringing with it a sample from the asteroid Bennu.
Scientists at NASA believe that the asteroid Bennu holds clues to the formation and evolution of our solar system. They believe that the materials found on Bennu were forged in a supernova explosion from a giant star, making them some of the oldest in existence.
The Osiris-Rex mission has been a collaborative effort between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Arizona, and Lockheed Martin Space. The spacecraft also utilized technology from the Canadian Space Agency and worked in conjunction with Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission.
Launched in 2016, Osiris-Rex is set to touchdown at the Utah Test and Training Range on Sunday morning. However, before the spacecraft can be opened and the samples can be examined, strict protocols will be followed to ensure that the celestial material remains pristine and uncontaminated.
As the landing site is deemed safe, the spacecraft will be moved into a specially designed clean room. The sample will be kept under a flow of liquid nitrogen to prevent contamination from the Earth’s environment. It will then be transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
While the exact amount of asteroid material collected by Osiris-Rex is unknown, estimates suggest that the spacecraft could be carrying up to 250 grams. The mission’s goal was to gather at least 60 grams.
NASA will be providing live coverage of the landing on NASA TV, its website, and its app. A post-landing press conference will take place later that day.
If all goes well, researchers will open the container holding the samples by September 26. However, video footage and initial reports will not be available until October 11.
Osiris-Rex’s return comes just in time for the first anniversary of the successful Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), where an asteroid moonlet was successfully redirected. It also precedes the launch of NASA’s next asteroid-focused mission, Psyche, which is scheduled to launch this October.
The Osiris-Rex mission signifies an important step in our understanding of the origins of our solar system. By studying these ancient materials from Bennu, scientists hope to gain valuable insights into how our cosmic neighborhood came to be.
