Tag: Asteroid Bennu

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Asteroid Bennu samples collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx have building blocks of life, reveals study

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission has delivered an extraordinary revelation with its sample collection from asteroid Bennu, unveiling a treasure trove of clues about the origins of life. Initial studies of the 4.5-billion-year-old sample have uncovered the presence of carbon and water, suggesting that the fundamental components for life on Earth may also exist within this extraterrestrial rock.Ingredients of life discovered in asteroid Bennu samplesThe OSIRIS-REx mission surpassed expectations by not only meeting but exceeding its goal of collecting 60 grams of asteroid material. Bonus material found on the collector head, canister lid, and base has provided scientists with an abundance of material to analyze, promising continued discoveries and revelations about the solar system's formation a...
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NASA’s final tally shows spacecraft returned double the amount of asteroid Bennu rubble

NASA finally has counted up all the asteroid samples returned by a spacecraft last fall — and it's double the rubble return goal. Officials reported Thursday that the Osiris-Rex spacecraft collected 121.6 grams (4.29 ounces) of dust and pebbles from asteroid Bennu. That's just over half a cup and the biggest cosmic haul ever from beyond the moon.It took NASA longer than expected to pry open the sample container because of stuck fasteners. The black, carbon-rich samples — the first ever collected from an asteroid by NASA — are stored at a special curation lab at Houston's Johnson Space Center. Osiris-Rex returned the samples last September, three years after gathering them from the asteroid. The haul for the $1 billion mission would have been greater, but rocks jammed the lid of the con...
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10 top achievements of NASA in 2023: Bennu, Psyche to Dinkinesh, check them all out

2023 has been a ground-breaking year for NASA. From receiving asteroid sample to launching Psyche spacecraft, the US space agency achieved various milestones. As the year ends, we have compiled a list of 10 achievements of NASA.10 top achievements of NASA in 2023:1. This year NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio achieved a historic milestone as the first American to spend over a year in space, showcasing NASA's commitment to prolonged human space exploration. 2. OSIRIS-REx successfully deposited Bennu asteroid sample in the Utah desert, offering insights into the ancient building blocks of life on Earth 3. The Psyche asteroid spacecraft launched from NASA Kennedy Space Centre.4. NASA's Lucy spacecraft conducted its first target asteroid flyby of asteroid Dinkinesh at the inner edge of the main a...
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Space Mysteries: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Reveals Some of Planet Earth’s Ancient Origins

The ultimate aim of space scientists is to discover the origins of life and then figure out how things may move in the future in a better, more predicatble, way. Easier said than done, but scientists across the globe are hard at work on it. In 2023, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a groundbreaking discovery on asteroid Bennu, shedding light on the building blocks of life on Earth. This remarkable finding adds to our understanding of how Earth became a life-sustaining planet.NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission unveiled evidence of the "building blocks of life on Earth" after collecting samples from asteroid Bennu. The mission provided vital insights into the role of asteroids like Bennu in shaping Earth's sustainability, affirming their significance. NASA's administrator, Bill Nelson, called it...
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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid Bennu sample unveiled at the Smithsonian museum

In September, NASA reached a unique milestone when its ambitious project, the OSIRIS-REx mission, was completed successfully. The spacecraft traveled 6.2 billion kilometers to meet an asteroid named Bennu in deep space, collected samples, and then delivered them to the Earth. These samples, collected for the first time ever by humanity, are expected to answer some of the biggest questions around the origin of the Earth, the life of the planet, and the solar system itself. And now, a small piece of this sample has been placed in the iconic Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History so that people can come and appreciate the historic feat.According to a report by Payload Space, the asteroid sample was unveiled at the museum on Friday. The unveiling was a ceremonious occasion as the rock was...
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Unlocking Ancient Secrets: Asteroid Bennu Samples to Shed Light on Life’s Origins

Asteroid Bennu samples are now on Earth and they are all set to set to reveal many secrets of the Universe. These can then be used by mankind to find answers to so many questions that have remained unanswered for so long. Professor Michelle Thompson, hailing from Purdue University in Indiana, has accomplished a remarkable feat by leading a team that collected samples from the Asteroid Bennu. These samples are nothing short of time capsules, offering insights into the formation of our solar system over four and a half billion years ago.In an interview with CBC News: The National, Professor Thompson described the surreal experience of holding fragments from Asteroid Bennu in her gloved hands. She likened it to walking through Roman ruins in Europe, feeling the weight of history, and conn...
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When NASA opened Asteroid Bennu capsule brought back to Earth by Osiris-Rex, THIS is what it found

After seven years in space, NASA's Osiris-Rex probe has captured the world's attention with its successful return to Earth, carrying a precious chunk of asteroid sample. This achievement promises groundbreaking insights into the origins of our solar system and potential threats from asteroids. Notably, Osiris-Rex traveled billions of miles before jettisoning the precious cargo capsule back towards Earth. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft was some 63000 miles above Earth when it released the capsule carrying the asteroid sample, which fell back to Earth. The craft itself shot by the Earth.What was on the capsule?FRANCE 24's Science reporter Shirli Sitbon, who is currently taking a close look at the mission, said that, As the lid of the capsule containing the asteroid material was opened, surpri...
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1640-foot asteroid could hit Earth, says UCC professor; know when

Asteroids are massive space rocks that travel through space and worryingly, some of these also make a close approach to Earth. NASA tracks such asteroids and categorizes them as potentially hazardous or non-hazardous objects depending on their size and proximity to the planet. Now, a new study says that an asteroid can hit Earth in the next 159 years. Considering that an asteroid caused the extinction of dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, this is shocking news. Now, the prediction of an asteroid collision in the near future is scary. Know what the expert says about this asteroid impact. Asteroid set to hit Earth in 159 yearsAccording to an Echo Live report, University College Cork (UCC) Astrophysics Professor Bertram Bitsch has said that there is a chance of an asteroid named Bennu h...
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Osiris-Rex spacecraft to bring asteroid sample to Earth for NASA today

The climactic end of a seven-year voyage comes Sunday when a NASA capsule is due to land in the Utah desert, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere will be perilous, but the US space agency is hoping for a soft landing, around 9:00am local (15H00 GMT), in a military test range in northwestern Utah.Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface. Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids t...
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NASA spacecraft delivering biggest sample yet from an asteroid

Planet Earth is about to receive a special delivery — the biggest sample yet from an asteroid.A NASA spacecraft will fly by Earth on Sunday and drop off what is expected to be at least a cupful of rubble it grabbed from the asteroid Bennu. closing out a seven-year quest. The sample capsule will parachute into the Utah desert as its mothership, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft, zooms off for an encounter with another asteroid. Scientists anticipate getting about a half pound (250 grams) of pebbles and dust, much more than the teaspoon or so brought back by Japan from two other asteroids. No other country has fetched pieces of asteroids, preserved time capsules from the dawn of our solar system that can help explain how Earth — and life — came to be.Sunday's landing concludes a 4 billion-mile (...