NASA's Osiris-Rex Caps Off Epic Seven-Year Journey by Delivering Pristine Asteroid Samples, Marking a Historic Achievement

 NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft successfully delivered the United States' first pristine asteroid sample on September 24, capping off a seven-year journey. The sample capsule, containing at least a cup of rubble from the carbon-rich asteroid Bennu, parachuted into the remote Utah desert after being released from the spacecraft. Although some material spilled and floated away during collection three years ago, scientists estimate that the capsule holds a significant amount of valuable samples that could help researchers understand the formation of Earth and life itself.

The successful landing occurred three minutes earlier than anticipated, thanks to the orange striped parachute opening higher than expected at around 20,000 feet. Japan is the only other country to have successfully brought back asteroid samples, with a teaspoon-sized collection from two missions. In contrast, the Bennu samples delivered by Osiris-Rex represent the largest haul from beyond the moon. The mission's lead scientist, Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, accompanied the samples to Texas, where the container was opened at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Engineers estimate that the canister holds around 250 grams of material from Bennu, which exceeds the minimum requirement of the mission. However, it will take some time to get an exact measurement. Bennu, which is currently orbiting the sun about 81 million kilometers from Earth, is approximately one-third of a mile in size and is believed to be a broken fragment of a much larger asteroid. Its loose surface posed challenges during collection, as the spacecraft's vacuum arm sank into the asteroid and jammed the lid due to the abundance of material.

The close-up observations of Bennu will be crucial for future asteroid-deflection efforts, as the asteroid is expected to come dangerously close to Earth in 2182. Osiris-Rex's successful mission marks NASA's third sample return from a deep-space robotic mission. Previous missions, such as the Genesis spacecraft, encountered failures during sample delivery. NASA's plans to return samples from Mars are currently on hold due to cost and complexity concerns. However, the Martian rover Perseverance has been collecting core samples for eventual transport to Earth. A public show-and-tell is scheduled for October to showcase the Bennu samples and further advance our understanding of the solar system's origins.