NASA to reveal 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid sample on October 11
NASA is gearing up to unveil the sample collected from the Bennu asteroid during the groundbreaking OSIRIS-REx mission on October 11. The results of their analysis of the returned asteroid sample will also be discussed for the first time on the same day. Launched in September 2016, OSIRIS-REx marked NASA's first-ever attempt to retrieve a sample from an asteroid. The spacecraft successfully gathered the sample in 2020 and returned to Earth on September 24, touching down in the Utah desert.
Analysis of the asteroid sample
Post-landing at Utah, the precious asteroid sample was briefly stored in a clean room near the landing site before being whisked away to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. At this Houston facility, scientists carefully disassembled the sample container and are currently analyzing the sample. Interestingly, Johnson Space Center is said to contain the "world's largest collection of astromaterials from the solar system," including samples from asteroids, comets, Mars, the Moon, and the Sun.
What is special about asteroid Bennu?
To kick off the analysis, researchers will use a scanning electron microscope (SEM), infrared measurements, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) to get a better understanding of the returned asteroid sample. Asteroid Bennu is said to be a remnant of the early solar system, estimated to be around 4.5 billion years old. Scientists hope studying the returned asteroid sample will shed light on the formation of our solar system and maybe even reveal clues about the origins of life on Earth.
NASA Chief Bill Nelson's comments
NASA Chief Bill Nelson couldn't be prouder of the successful OSIRIS-REx mission, saying it has "brought something extraordinary: the largest asteroid sample ever received on Earth." He believes that this sample will "help scientists investigate planet formation," improve the "understanding of asteroids that could possibly impact the Earth," and "deepen our understanding of the origin of our solar system and its formation."
How to watch live stream of the asteroid sample reveal
NASA's big reveal of the Bennu asteroid sample will happen at an event conducted on October 11 at 11am ET (8:30pm IST). You can watch the live stream via NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.
