NASA OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Successfully Grabs Sample From Asteroid Bennu
NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe successfully touches down on asteroid Bennu to collect precious space dust. The spacecraft is now moving away from the asteroid to begin its journey back to Earth.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully completes its touch-and-go maneuver on the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The probe briefly lands on the asteroid's surface, collects a sample of space dust, and jets back upward to escape the asteroid's gravitational pull. This historic mission marks the first time NASA performs an asteroid sample return operation.
The spacecraft's sampling arm gathers regolith from the rocky surface during a brief contact that lasts only a few seconds. Following the successful collection, OSIRIS-REx moves away from Bennu with the valuable cargo and prepares for its homeward journey. The mission team confirms the success shortly after the maneuver based on telemetry data.
Viewers follow the complex operation through a live animation informed by the spacecraft's telemetry, as live HD video is impossible over the massive distance. This achievement mirrors Japan's Hayabusa-2 mission, which successfully returned asteroid samples last year. OSIRIS-REx originally launches in September 2016 and spends years carefully orbiting Bennu before attempting today's daring surface grab.