NASA will be making U.S. history

NASA will be making U.S. history next week as it attempts to collect samples from an asteroid named Bennu and bring them back to Earth. The mission, called OSIRIS-REx, has been ongoing since 2016 and aims to gather valuable insights about the early Solar System and potentially provide clues about the origins of life on Earth.

On October 20, 2020, the spacecraft will descend to the surface of Bennu and touch it for a brief period of time, using a robotic arm called TAGSAM (Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism). During this touch-and-go maneuver, the arm will release a burst of nitrogen gas, stirring up the surface material of the asteroid, and then collect the resulting particles.

The entire process is expected to take just a few seconds, but the spacecraft will spend several more hours at the asteroid documenting its condition and mapping its surface. It will also capture images of the surface and the site to help ensure the collected sample materials are properly stored for the journey back to Earth.

The collected samples are scheduled to be returned to Earth in 2023. This will mark the first time NASA has attempted to gather samples from an asteroid and bring them home, making it a significant event in U.S. space exploration history.

The samples collected from Bennu could provide scientists with invaluable data about asteroids, including their composition, structure, and potential impact hazards they may pose to Earth. By studying Bennu, NASA hopes to gain new insights into the formation and evolution of our Solar System.

This mission is vital as it could aid in understanding the potential mitigation strategies for future asteroid impacts, which could prove crucial for protecting our planet. Overall, the OSIRIS-REx mission represents a major achievement for NASA and a significant step forward in our exploration of space.