Central Idea

The NASA OSIRIS-REx mission has achieved a significant milestone by successfully returning to Earth with an estimated 250 grams (8.8 ounces) of material gathered from the surface of an asteroid.
These precious samples hold the potential to provide critical insights into differentiating authentic asteroid-origin materials from potential terrestrial contaminants or alterations across various meteorite types.

OSIRIS-REx Mission

OSIRIS-REx embarked on its journey when it was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2016.
Over a span of two years, it traversed space to reach Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid nestled between Earth and Mars.

The spacecraft reached its destination, Bennu, in December 2018.
It spent two years in orbit around the asteroid, conducting a comprehensive suite of measurements.
These measurements encompassed critical aspects such as Bennu’s mass, density, albedo, surface composition, and particle environment.
The landing site chosen on Bennu was named “Nightingale.”

During the reconnaissance phase, the OSIRIS-REx mission uncovered several intriguing findings:
Bennu is classified as an active asteroid, periodically ejecting material from its surface.
The surface of Bennu exhibited a considerably rougher terrain than initially expected, featuring numerous boulders exceeding ten meters in diameter.
Bennu’s bulk density was found to be lower than anticipated, suggesting the presence of substantial empty space within the asteroid’s structure.
Surface features on Bennu indicated signs of past aqueous activity, and the asteroid’s rotation was observed to be accelerating due to the YORP effect.

Previous space missions like Japan’s Hayabusa and Hayabusa2, as well as China’s Chang’e 5, have made substantial contributions to our understanding of celestial bodies and their compositions.
The return of asteroid samples by OSIRIS-REx marks NASA’s first sample return mission since Stardust in 2006 and Genesis in 2004.

The return of material directly from celestial sources, such as asteroids, comets, the solar wind, and the Moon, holds immense scientific significance.
It provides the means to answer questions that lie beyond the scope of remote observations, landers, rovers, or even meteorites.
Collecting samples directly from the source ensures the preservation of intricate details that may otherwise be lost during a meteorite’s passage through Earth’s atmosphere and subsequent impact.