The NASA spacecraft that collected dust from an asteroid began its return to Earth

NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft returned to Earth on Monday with a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft, which departed the asteroid’s surface on Monday, Business Insider reports, collected 56.7 grams of dust. This marks the largest sample ever obtained since the Apollo moon missions.

The mission, launched nearly five years ago, is the first NASA endeavor to collect samples from an asteroid. The primary objective of the spacecraft was to verify measurements made from Earth regarding Bennu. The data gathered will contribute to the planning of future space missions.

The spacecraft, measuring six meters in length and 2.5 meters in width, previously circled Bennu to identify a suitable landing site. It landed on the asteroid’s surface on October 20, 2020. Following a planned trajectory involving two orbits around the sun, the spacecraft will release a capsule containing the sample approximately 10,000 kilometers from Earth.

The capsule is scheduled to land in a U.S. desert in Utah on September 24, 2023. The OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft is operated by NASA.

Topics: #spacecraft #asteroid #nasa