NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a successful TAG (Touch-And-Go) on asteroid Bennu on October 20, 2020 and collected pristine samples from the asteroid's surface. This alone was a incredible...
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a successful TAG (Touch-And-Go) on asteroid Bennu on October 20, 2020 and collected pristine samples from the asteroid's surface. This alone was a incredible scientific achievement. You may have seen the montage of images during the successful decent and touch. Of the estimated 1 million asteroids in the solar system, only 8 were identified as potential targets. Bennu was selected because of its "sandy" surface texture and relatively high Earth impact probability (no worries about the latter as NASA's DART mission demonstrated).
Now that sample container is set to return to Earth on 9/24/23. Why is this sample so important and of great scientific interest? Asteroids are remnants of the formation of our solar system some 4.5 billion years ago and have remained unchanged since then. Studying the surface material will provide scientists valuable clues of the early makeup of what eventually became the 8 planets we see today. Further, the sample may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life and the Earth’s oceans.
Much like the samples returned from the Moon during the Apollo missions, only 25% of Bennu's sample will be analyzed by current scientists. The rest will be stored for future scientists to examine with technologies not yet invented to answer questions not yet thought of.
This'll be really exciting. I'm hoping to see more evidence for how life started here, or alternatively none at all? Panspermia still tickles my fancy, even as it's seeming less and less likely.
This'll be really exciting. I'm hoping to see more evidence for how life started here, or alternatively none at all? Panspermia still tickles my fancy, even as it's seeming less and less likely.
For those interested, the dress rehearsals for the outdoor activities related to the sample capsule recovery and the initial clean room activities are scheduled later this month on Tuesday, June...
For those interested, the dress rehearsals for the outdoor activities related to the sample capsule recovery and the initial clean room activities are scheduled later this month on Tuesday, June 27th for the former and Wednesday, June 28th for the later. I'm assuming there will be a livestream out of NASA TV.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a successful TAG (Touch-And-Go) on asteroid Bennu on October 20, 2020 and collected pristine samples from the asteroid's surface. This alone was a incredible scientific achievement. You may have seen the montage of images during the successful decent and touch. Of the estimated 1 million asteroids in the solar system, only 8 were identified as potential targets. Bennu was selected because of its "sandy" surface texture and relatively high Earth impact probability (no worries about the latter as NASA's DART mission demonstrated).
Now that sample container is set to return to Earth on 9/24/23. Why is this sample so important and of great scientific interest? Asteroids are remnants of the formation of our solar system some 4.5 billion years ago and have remained unchanged since then. Studying the surface material will provide scientists valuable clues of the early makeup of what eventually became the 8 planets we see today. Further, the sample may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life and the Earth’s oceans.
Much like the samples returned from the Moon during the Apollo missions, only 25% of Bennu's sample will be analyzed by current scientists. The rest will be stored for future scientists to examine with technologies not yet invented to answer questions not yet thought of.
-LB
This'll be really exciting. I'm hoping to see more evidence for how life started here, or alternatively none at all? Panspermia still tickles my fancy, even as it's seeming less and less likely.
For those interested, the dress rehearsals for the outdoor activities related to the sample capsule recovery and the initial clean room activities are scheduled later this month on Tuesday, June 27th for the former and Wednesday, June 28th for the later. I'm assuming there will be a livestream out of NASA TV.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-to-view-asteroid-sample-recovery-rehearsal