SPACE — Samples of the asteroid Bennu are currently on their way to Earth. On Sunday (10 September 2023) the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was positioned on a path towards Earth by firing thrusters. Capsules containing samples were sent to Earth.
Please note that what returned to Earth was only the sample capsule that descended to Earth. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will continue to fly into space. The spacecraft will head to the asteroid Apophis on an extended mission, and finally reach the potentially dangerous space rock in 2029.
“The trajectory correction maneuver changes the spacecraft’s speed by about 0.5 mph (less than 1 kilometer per hour-ed) relative to Earth. “Without this small but critical change, the spacecraft and its asteroid payload would have flown past Earth,” NASA officials wrote in a blog post, reported by Space.com.
OSIRIS-REx payload
OSIRIS-REx carries a payload of approximately 250 grams of soil and gravel collected in October 2020 from the asteroid Bennu. Bennu is a potentially dangerous asteroid about 500 meters wide.
The sample containing this material probably reached Earth on the morning of September 24. The samples will land at the Training Range southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.
The OSIRIS-REx samples will eventually be studied by scientists around the world. It is hoped that this sample will shed light on the formation and evolution of our solar system.
The material could also reveal the role of carbon-rich asteroids like Bennu in delivering the building blocks of life to Earth in the past.
On Monday 11 September, OSIRIS-REx was about 7 million km from Earth, moving towards Earth at a speed of 23,000 kilometers per hour.
The mission team may conduct one more booster firing on September 17 if deemed necessary.
2023-09-13 03:38:00
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