NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission successfully returned to Earth after a 6.21 billion-kilometer journey, carrying a capsule with samples from asteroid Bennu.
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Significance
The mission is estimated to have collected about 250g of asteroid specimen, which could provide valuable insights into the early solar system.
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Bennu
Asteroid Bennu, a 4.5-billion-year-old remnant of the early solar system, is believed to have contributed essential ingredients for life on Earth.
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Mission timeline
Launched in 2016, the $1 billion OSIRIS-REx mission reached Bennu in 2018. It collected samples in 2020 before returning home.
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Sample analysis
The samples will be analyzed at NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center and distributed to researchers worldwide. NASA will reveal the results of its initial analysis on October 11.
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Research
The Canadian Space Agency will receive 4%, and the Japanese Space Agency will receive 0.5% of the returned asteroid samples.