NASA Wraps Up Preparations for Landing Asteroid Sample on Earth
NASA is gearing up for the highly anticipated landing of a precious asteroid sample on Earth next month. The agency’s OSIRIS-REx mission took a crucial step on Wednesday, successfully retrieving a dummy capsule that descended to Earth in the U.S. Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range. This successful drop test confirms that NASA is ready for the real deal – the touchdown of OSIRIS-REx’s sample capsule containing about 8.8 ounces of material from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu on September 24.
Nicola Fox, the associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, expressed excitement about the upcoming milestone. “We are now mere weeks away from receiving a piece of solar system history on Earth, and this successful drop test ensures we’re ready,” said Fox in a statement.
The material collected from asteroid Bennu is expected to provide valuable insights into the formation of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago, and could potentially shed light on the origins of life on Earth. “Pristine material from asteroid Bennu will help shed light on the formation of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago, and perhaps even on how life on Earth began,” added Fox.
The OSIRIS-REx mission was launched in September 2016 with the objective of studying and acquiring samples from Bennu, a potentially hazardous asteroid measuring about 1,650 feet in width. After reaching Bennu in December 2018, the spacecraft spent nearly two years observing the asteroid closely to identify suitable sampling sites.
In October 2020, the mission experienced an unexpected turn of events during its sampling attempt. The asteroid’s surface, initially presumed to be solid, turned out to be surprisingly soft, akin to a ball pit at a children’s playground. However, this fortunate circumstance allowed OSIRIS-REx to collect a substantial amount of material.
Having completed its mission at Bennu, OSIRIS-REx is now en route to Earth with its precious cargo. The mission team has been diligently preparing for the capsule’s arrival by conducting a series of tests. Wednesday’s successful recovery of the dummy capsule marked a significant milestone in the final major practice run.
Once the capsule touches down, it will be transported to a clean room at the Utah military range for processing. Subsequently, the Bennu material will be sent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it will be curated. Over the course of months and years, portions of the asteroid material will be distributed to scientists worldwide for in-depth analysis of our solar system’s formation and evolution.
Researchers will also explore the asteroid material for evidence of organic molecules, the building blocks of life that are rich in carbon. It is believed that carbon-rich asteroids like Bennu delivered much of this crucial material, along with water, to Earth through ancient impacts.
While OSIRIS-REx is not wrapping up its journey after returning to Earth, it will embark on an extended mission to investigate the asteroid Apophis, another potentially hazardous asteroid. The spacecraft is scheduled to reach Apophis, similar in nature to Bennu, in 2029.
The landing of the Bennu sample brings us one step closer to unraveling the mysteries of our solar system’s origins and the potential for life beyond Earth. The upcoming analysis of the asteroid material holds great promise for both the scientific community and our understanding of our place in the cosmos.