NASA ’s OSIRIS - REx has said its goodby to asteroid Bennu , the space rock it has studied for over two years . The spacecraft has psychoanalyze this small asteroid in dainty detail and finally last Octoberflew down to its surfaceto collect a sampling of asteroid material to bring back to Earth . Its journeying home with its wanted lading has now begun .
On May 10 , at 4:23 post-mortem examination EDT , OSIRIS - REx fired its engine for a full 7 - minute burn . The space vehicle started moving away from Bennu at almost 1,000 kilometers ( 600 international mile ) an hour to begin its 2.5 - twelvemonth - long itinerary back to Earth .
“ OSIRIS - REx ’s many attainment certify the daring and innovate way in which exploration unfolds in real fourth dimension , ” Thomas Zurbuchen , associate administrator for skill at NASA Headquarters , said in astatement . “ The squad rose to the challenge , and now we have a primal piece of our Solar System point back to Earth where many generations of researchers can unlock its arcanum . ”
On October 20 , 2020 , the spacecraft fly down to the surface to grab a pristine sample of Bennu ’s soil , capturing somespectacular footagealong the way .
“ From a skill standpoint and from a mission achievement standpoint , this is really the core moment , ” Beau Bierhaus , OSIRIS - male monarch scientist at Lockheed Martin , told IFLScienceat the clip . “ This is where we accomplish what the mission typeset out to do . ”
Just a week before its historic touchdown , the mission releasedincredible footagecaptured while studying the asteroid that when edited together makes you feel like you are resist on its surface .
OSIRIS - king is only the third ballistic capsule to garner material from an asteroid , and the first for the US , after Japan ’s Hayabusa and Hayabusa2missions to asteroid Ryugu .
And now , mission everlasting , the journey home set out .
“ Our whole mindset has been , ‘ Where are we in space relative to Bennu ? ’ ” say Mike Moreau , OSIRIS - male monarch deputy project manager at NASA ’s Goddard Space Flight Center . “ Now our mindset has shifted to ‘ Where is the ballistic capsule in relation to Earth ? ’ ”
The ballistic capsule will go around the Sun twice before getting past Earth on September 24 , 2023 . Then it will neglect the sample capsule and go off its engine once again to move into a new cranial orbit around the Sun , little than Venus’s . The sample capsuleis direct to terra firma at the Utah Test and Training Range in Utah ’s West Desert .
