{"id":49688,"date":"2023-09-25T07:19:20","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T07:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4ae5e6f8-07aa-43ac-a6d4-17cebda07432"},"modified":"2023-09-25T07:32:31","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T07:32:31","slug":"osiris-rex-successfully-returns-asteroid-sample-to-earth","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/osiris-rex-successfully-returns-asteroid-sample-to-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"OSIRIS-REx successfully returns asteroid sample to Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA’s sample return mission successfully touches down. <\/p>

By Iain Todd\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 25 September 2023 at 07:19 AM<\/p>

\n\n

NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-REx mission<\/a> has successfully delivered a sample of Asteroid Bennu back to Earth.<\/p>

The capsule of rocks and dust collected from the asteroid<\/a> landed in a region of the US Department of Defense\u2019s Utah Test and Training Range near Salt Lake City at 10:52 EDT (14:52 UTC) on Sunday 24 October.<\/p>

The pristine samples were collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at Asteroid Bennu\u00a0on 20 October 2020<\/a>.<\/p>

What sample return missions like OSIRIS-REx can tell us about the Solar System<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>
A view of asteroid Bennu, its striking craters and surface covered in boulders, captured by OSIRIS-REx’s OCAMS (MapCam) instrument on 28 April 2020 from a distance of 10km. Half of Bennu is bathed in sunlight, and half is in shadow. Credit: NASA\/Goddard\/University of Arizona<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The spacecraft collected a sample of dust and pebbles from the surface and sent it back to Earth in the Sample Return Capsule.<\/p>
NASA says the sample is thought to amount to around 250g of material.<\/p>
After the landing, the capsule was taken by helicopter to a temporary clean room in a hangar on the training range, where it was ‘purged’ with a continuous flow of nitrogen.<\/p>
This ‘nitrogen purge’ occurs because nitrogen is a gas that doesn\u2019t interact with most other chemicals.<\/p>
This helps prevent the container from being contaminated and keeps the asteroid sample pristine for scientific study.<\/p>
$\"NASA\u2019s$
NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-Rex touches down onto asteroid BennuOSIRIS-REx, 20 OCTOBER 2020CREDIT NASA\/Goddard\/University of Arizona\/Lockheed Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Today, Monday 25 September, the Bennu sample is due to be transported in its unopened canister by aircraft to NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>
Scientists will then disassemble the canister, extract and weigh the sample and create an inventory of the rocks and dust.<\/p>
Eventually, samples of asteroid Bennu will be sent to scientists across the world for study, including the University of Manchester in the UK.<\/p>
How the OSIRIS-REx landing happened<\/strong><\/h2> $\"The$
The training model of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule during a drop test rehearsal, 30 August 2023, Utah, USA. Credit: NASA\/Keegan Barber<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The OSIRIS-REx sample capsule entered Earth’s atmosphere at 10:42 EDT ( 14:42 EDT) while travelling at speeds of 27,650 mph (44,500 kph).<\/p>
This occurred off the coast of California at an altitude of 83 miles (133 kilometers).<\/p>
The capsule then took 10 minutes to make its landing on the military range.<\/p>
Two parachutes deployed to slow the capsule’s rate of descent and stabilise it, bringing its speed down to 11 mph (18 kph) as it landed.<\/p>
Radar, infrared and optical instruments in the air and on the ground were tasked with tracking the OSIRIS-REx capsule during its landing within a 36-mile by 8.5-mile (58-kilometer by 14-kilometer) area.<\/p>
A recovery team was then sent to retrieve the sample, which occurred at 11:07 EDT (15:07) EDT.<\/p>
Within 70 minutes, the team gathered the sample and began transporting it to a temporary clean room on the range.<\/p>
$\"A$
A region in asteroid Bennu’s southern hemisphere showing large boulders and an accumulation of rocks. This image was captured on 5 August 2019 when OSIRIS-REx was just 0.6km from the surface. The rock casting a shadow on the bright central boulder is 4ft long. Credit: NASA\/Goddard\/University of Arizona<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Why return an asteroid sample to Earth?<\/strong><\/h2>
OSIRIS-REx is what’s known as a sample return mission<\/a>.<\/p>
Just like Japan’s Hayabusa2<\/a> mission, the aim is to collect a sample of a space rock and return it to Earth for study under controlled conditions.<\/p>
Space rocks like asteroids and meteors are primordial pieces left over from the formation of the Solar System.<\/p>
Studying them can reveal clues as to how our Solar System formed, what it was like in its infancy and how it has evolved over time.<\/p>
And while meteorites found on Earth can provide important information, they will have been contaminated on their journey to terra firma.<\/p>
Collecting and returning a pristine sample from space under controlled conditions gives scientists the chance to study a pure piece of the Solar System’s history.<\/p>
$\"Artist\u2019s$
Artist\u2019s impression of OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collecting a sample from asteroid Bennu. Credit: NASA\/Goddard\/University of Arizona<\/figcaption><\/figure>
OSIRIS-REx timeline<\/strong><\/h2>
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s journey has been a long one. Here’s a summary of key moments.<\/p>
8 September 2016<\/strong> – OSIRIS-REx launches<\/li>
3 December 2018<\/strong> – OSIRIS-REx arrives at Asteroid Bennu<\/li>
2019 – 2020<\/strong> – Spacecraft searches for safe sample collection site<\/li>
20 October 2020<\/strong> – OSIRIS-REx collects sample of Asteroid Bennu<\/li>
10 May 2021<\/strong> – Sample’s return to Earth begins<\/li>
24 September 2023<\/strong> – OSIRIS-REx sample successfully lands on Earth<\/li><\/ul>
What next?<\/strong><\/h2>
“Today marks an extraordinary milestone not just for the OSIRIS-REx team but for science as a whole,\u201d says Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona, Tucson. <\/p>
“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.<\/p>
“But let\u2019s not forget \u2013 while this may feel like the end of an incredible chapter, it\u2019s truly just the beginning of another.<\/p>
“We now have the unprecedented opportunity to analyse these samples and delve deeper into the secrets of our Solar System.”<\/p>
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