NASA scientists have reached a new milestone in space exploration by successfully recovering a piece of the asteroid Bennu. After a seven-year journey, the Osiris-Rex probe released a capsule containing the sample into space, which then successfully landed in the Utah desert, United States.
This sample collection mission is the first of its kind for NASA and represents a major advance in our understanding of asteroids and the history of our solar system. The 250 grams of sample recovered, the precise composition of which will be analyzed in the coming days, is expected to provide crucial information about the origins of the solar system and the types of asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth.
The return of this sample is considered historic by NASA scientists. This is indeed the largest quantity of extraterrestrial material brought to Earth since lunar rocks collected during the Apollo missions in the 1970s.
Collecting this sample was not an easy task. The Osiris-Rex probe had to release the capsule containing the sample more than 100,000 km from Earth, before it crossed the atmosphere at a dizzying speed of more than 44,000 km/h. Parachutes were used to slow down the capsule’s descent and prevent a hard landing.
Once the capsule was recovered from the Utah desert, it was placed in an airtight room to prevent contamination of the sample. Strict security measures have been put in place to ensure the integrity of the precious cargo.
The sample will now be sent to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where it will be opened in a sealed room and analyzed in detail. The first results of these analyzes should be announced at a press conference scheduled for October 11.
NASA plans to keep the majority of the sample for future studies, but part will be shared with Japan and Canada, who are partners in this space exploration mission.
This successful collection of an asteroid sample opens new perspectives for space exploration and the understanding of our universe. Asteroids contain valuable information about the origin and evolution of our solar system, and their study is essential to better understand our place in the universe.
The Osiris-Rex mission marks an important step in this quest for knowledge, and NASA scientists will continue to explore and push the boundaries of our understanding of space and the history of our existence.