NASA spacecraft collects 250g sample on asteroid Bennu

According to research published in the journal Science on July 7, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) arrived at the asteroid Bennu and obtained a sample weighing about 250 grams to carry. about Earth.

The Osiris-Rex spacecraft.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft approached Bennu in December 2018 and conducted surveys before landing on the planet's surface to collect rock samples in October 2020. The spacecraft has completed its first mission to collect samples from asteroids to bring back to Earth. Initially, NASA intended to take samples weighing at least 60g.

It is expected that the sample will be returned to Earth in September 2023. NASA planned to share part of this specimen with the Japanese space agency.

Asteroids are thought to be remnants of the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Studying asteroids will provide new insights into the formation of the solar system and the origin of life.

Previously, Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft, which is smaller than OSIRIS-REx, brought back a sample weighing about 5.4g from the asteroid Ryugu and shared with NASA some of the material obtained after returning to Earth. in December 2020. This specimen includes more than 20 amino acids that are important to all organisms in the production of proteins. This discovery reinforced the theory that the origin of life on Earth came from outer space.