NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission Officially Surpasses Asteroid Sample Size Goal
NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) mission has officially surpassed its asteroid sample size goal, collecting more than 70 grams of material from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. This is significantly more than the mission's minimum requirement of 60 grams, and it represents the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth.
The OSIRIS-REx team announced the milestone on October 23, 2023, after processing the first portion of the sample capsule that landed in Utah on September 24, 2023. The sample includes a variety of rocks and dust from Bennu's surface, and it will be studied by scientists around the world to learn more about the formation and evolution of our solar system, as well as the potential for asteroids to harbor organic molecules that could have led to the origin of life on Earth.
"This is a historic day for NASA and the OSIRIS-REx mission," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, in a statement. "We have achieved our primary goal of collecting a pristine asteroid sample, and we have surpassed our expectations by collecting even more material than we originally planned."
The OSIRIS-REx team is still processing the sample capsule, and they believe that there may be even more material to collect. They are also working to ensure that the sample is free of contamination, so that it can be studied accurately by scientists.
Once the sample is fully processed, it will be distributed to scientists around the world for analysis. The first samples are expected to be shipped out in early 2024.
The OSIRIS-REx mission is a major milestone in space exploration. It is the first U.S. mission to collect an asteroid sample, and it is the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth. The data from the mission will help scientists to better understand our solar system and the potential for asteroids to harbor life.