NASA Spacecraft to Touch Down on Asteroid Bennu in October to Collect Rock Samples
4 years, 6 months ago

NASA Spacecraft to Touch Down on Asteroid Bennu in October to Collect Rock Samples

News 18  

After a four-year journey, NASA’s robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx will descend to asteroid Bennu’s boulder-strewn surface on October 20, touching down for a few seconds to collect rock and dust samples, the agency said Thursday. “Years of planning and hard work by this team are essentially coming down to putting the TAGSAM into contact with the surface for just five to 10 seconds,” said Mike Moreau, OSIRIS-REx deputy project manager. NASA has chosen a site called Nightingale, a rocky area 52 feet in diameter, for the spacecraft’s robotic arm to attempt to collect a sample, because it holds the greatest amount of unobstructed fine-grained material. OSIRIS-REx is supposed to collect at least 2 ounces of Bennu’s rocky material to bring back to Earth –- the largest sample return from space since the Apollo program.

History of this topic

NASA makes stunning move on Asteroid Bennu samples after OSIRIS-REx mission success
11 months, 4 weeks ago
Scientists extract 70 grams of asteroid rocks from Osiris capsule, more inside
1 year, 5 months ago
NASA sends spacecraft to explore mysterious, rare metal asteroid in 1st mission of its kind | Here are DETAILS
1 year, 5 months ago
Nasa opens up pieces of a distant asteroid transported back to Earth
1 year, 5 months ago
NASA to unveil first newly returned near-Earth asteroid sample
1 year, 5 months ago
NASA shows off its first asteroid samples delivered by a spacecraft
1 year, 5 months ago
NASA predicts asteroid Bennu may hit Earth in THIS year | Details
1 year, 5 months ago
A 3D map of an eerie asteroid
1 year, 6 months ago
OSIRIS-REx and Bennu: Sample return missions explained
1 year, 6 months ago
Nasa capsule carrying asteroid Bennu samples returns to Earth
1 year, 6 months ago
What's next for NASA's asteroid samples? How 250g of the Bennu space rock could help to unravel the origins of life on Earth
1 year, 6 months ago
Nasa lands Bennu asteroid samples back on Earth
1 year, 6 months ago
Asteroid Bennu may reveal secrets of life on Earth. Its sample in NASA capsule will have…
1 year, 6 months ago
'Touchdown': NASA control room rejoices as first asteroid samples land on Earth
1 year, 6 months ago
NASA's first asteroid samples land on Earth in stunning live video after release from spacecraft - SEVEN years after $1Billion OSIRIS-REx launch
1 year, 6 months ago
When will Osiris Rex return? Pieces of Asteroid Bennu about to come to Earth as part of Nasa’s mission
1 year, 6 months ago
NASA capsule carrying first asteroid samples lands on Earth
1 year, 6 months ago
All about asteroid Bennu, a ticking n-bomb that could destroy Earth and NASA's mission to prevent it
1 year, 6 months ago
Capsule with NASA’s first asteroid samples lands on Earth after release from spacecraft
1 year, 6 months ago
NASA's spacecraft drops asteroid sample capsule. What to expect?
1 year, 6 months ago
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission set for historic asteroid Bennu sample return next week
1 year, 6 months ago
Osiris-Rex adjusts course to get closer to Earth with asteroid samples
1 year, 8 months ago
Smacked asteroid's debris trail more than 6,000 miles long
2 years, 5 months ago
Scientists ‘surprised’ to find that Sun ages some asteroids much sooner than earlier thought
2 years, 8 months ago
Science for All | The strange surface of asteroid Bennu
2 years, 8 months ago
Asteroid Bennu's surface is like plastic ball pit same as play area for kids
2 years, 8 months ago
Martian soil set to come to Earth: Perseverance rover captures, stores first rock samples from Mars surface
3 years, 6 months ago
Nasa now knows when asteroid Bennu is most likely to crash into Earth
3 years, 7 months ago
Nasa scientists learn more about asteroid Bennu’s future orbit
3 years, 7 months ago
Asteroid Bennu has slightly higher chance of hitting Earth than previously thought, scientists track movement
3 years, 7 months ago
OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on track with samples from asteroid Bennu, Nasa decides against course correction
3 years, 9 months ago
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft way back to Earth with asteroid sample
3 years, 10 months ago
Nasa’s Osiris Rex probe begins two year journey to Earth from asteroid Bennu with cache of soil samples
3 years, 10 months ago
Nasa’s Osiris-Rex space probe heads home with asteroid dust
3 years, 10 months ago
NASA spacecraft begins 2-year trip home with asteroid rubble
3 years, 10 months ago
NASA spacecraft begins 2-year trip home with asteroid rubble
3 years, 10 months ago
NASA spacecraft begins 2-year trip home with asteroid rubble
3 years, 10 months ago
NASA's Osirix-Red Spacecraft Left a Mess on Asteroid Bennu While Trying to Collect Samples
3 years, 11 months ago
NASA OSIRIS-REx spacecraft leaves mess after grabbing asteroid samples
3 years, 11 months ago
NASA Spacecraft Left a Mess After Grabbing Asteroid Samples Before Returning to Earth
3 years, 11 months ago
NASA's OSIRIS-REx Probe Prepares For Final Flyby of Asteroid Bennu Before Returning to Earth
3 years, 11 months ago
NASA mission will zoom by asteroid Bennu before returning sample to Earth
4 years, 2 months ago
Asteroid samples from Hayabusa-2 leave Japan scientists speechless
4 years, 3 months ago
Asteroid Bennu's interior could be like 'crème-filled chocolate egg flying through space', say scientists
4 years, 4 months ago
NASA's Osiris-Rex tucks asteroid samples into capsule for return to Earth
4 years, 5 months ago
NASA Confirms That Osiris-Rex Probe Successfully Scooped Up Sample From Asteroid Bennu
4 years, 5 months ago
Asteroid samples tucked into capsule for return to Earth
4 years, 5 months ago
Asteroid Bennu Has Been in Earth's Vicinity for 1.75 Million Years, Reveals New Study
4 years, 5 months ago
Nasa spacecraft that picked up pieces of asteroid is leaking them into space as it returns home
4 years, 5 months ago
Samples of asteroid Bennu are spilling out from NASA's jammed OSIRIS-REx spacecraft
4 years, 5 months ago

Discover Related