Governance
Samples from America’s First Asteroid Sampling Mission Return to Earth
Samples collected from the asteroid Bennu by Osiris-REX, the first U.S. asteroid sampling probe, were successfully returned to Earth on the 24th. This marks the United States’ first asteroid sample return mission, delivering rocks, dust, and other samples that will aid scientists in understanding pl…
Headline
Samples collected from the asteroid Bennu by Osiris-REX, the first U.S. asteroid sampling probe, were successfully returned to Earth on the 24th. This marks the United States’ first asteroid sample return mission, delivering rocks, dust, and other samples that will aid…
Context
Samples collected from the asteroid Bennu by Osiris-REX, the first U.S. asteroid sampling probe, were successfully returned to Earth on the 24th. This marks the United States’ first asteroid sample return mission, delivering rocks, dust, and other samples that will aid scientists in understanding planetary formation and the origin of life on Earth. Home After More than Two Weeks
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
According to NASA, at 6:42 am Eastern Time on the 24th, Osiris-REx released the sample module from an altitude of approximately 100,000 kilometers above Earth’s surface. After roughly four hours of flight, the module entered Earth’s atmosphere near the coast of California, United States, at 10:42 am. By 10:52 am, with the assistance of parachutes, the sample module successfully landed in a predetermined area within the United States Department of Defense Test Flight Training Area near Salt Lake City, Utah. Subsequently, the mission team transported the sample capsule to a temporary clean room. The sample, weighing approximately 250 grams, is scheduled to be sent to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday for scientific analysis. Osiris-REx was launched on September 8, 2016, and arrived near the asteroid Bennu on December 3, 2018. On October 20, 2020, Osiris-REx used its robotic arm to collect samples from the surface of the asteroid Bennu. On May 10, 2021, Osiris-REx began its journey back to Earth. On Our Way to a Deeper Understanding
Key Points
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
