OSIRIS-REX spacecraft collects samples from asteroid Bennu
The OSIRIS-REX spacecraft, launched in September 2016, has successfully reached the asteroid Bennu at the end of 2018, commencing a two-year study of its surface.
In 2019, scientists identified the ideal location for collecting regolith samples – Nightingale crater. In 2020, using a 3.4-meter Robotized Osiris-Rex manipulator and air emission functions, the soil was successfully gathered. The entire process was carried out automatically due to the significant time delay of approximately 19 minutes for real-time control.
The collected soil was carefully placed in a specially designed capsule and sent back to Earth in the spring of 2021. After a two-year journey, the capsule safely landed in the desert of the American state of Utah in September 2023.
Challenges faced during sample container opening
Upon attempting to open the container, researchers encountered an unexpected hurdle.
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is actively involved in numerous projects related to scientific discovery, aeronautics, astronautics, planetary research, space technologies, and education. Some of NASA’s most well-known missions include Apollo, the initiative that first brought humans to the moon, Voyager, which explored the outer planets of the solar system, Hubble, renowned for capturing revolutionary images of distant galaxies, and the International Space Station (ISS), an international orbital laboratory.
Additionally, NASA collaborates closely with other space agencies around the world, such as the European Space Agency (ESA), Roscosmos, and the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA), among others. The primary objective of NASA is to expand humanity’s understanding of the universe and utilize this knowledge for the betterment of mankind.