NASA spacecraft returns to Earth with pieces of asteroid

Enlarge / Dante Laurette (RIGHT), OSIRIS-REx main investigator, approaches THE sample back capsule Sunday has THE Utah Test And Training Range. NASA/Keegan Hairdresser

A little capsule wearing Perfect specimens Since A asteroid parachute has landing In THE Utah desert Sunday, capping A seven years journey through THE Solar System has bring House samples For eager scientists while searching clues about THE origins of life.

from NASA OSIRIS-REx assignment brought back THE the biggest intact sample of material Never income has Earth Since beyond THE Moon, probably on THE order of about 250 grams, Or roughly 8 ounces, according to has estimates. THE spatialship collection THE samples Since asteroid Bennu, A weakly linked rocky world about THE size of A little mountain, during A touch and go landing In October 2020.

It is THE third asteroid sampling assignment In history, And THE First of all For THE United States, following two Japanese spatialship that income A smaller quantity of asteroid specimens has Earth In 2010 And 2020.

OSIRIS-REx was tinted with suspense And drama Since to start has finishing. THE projects original lead scientist deceased In 2011, month After NASA selected her assignment concept For funding. In 2016, THE spatialship was Stacked on high of It is United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on hold lift-off Since Cape Canaveral, Florida, When A EspaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded during A ground test barely A mile far. That sent thick plumes of black smoke on THE Atlas V launch buffer And briefly struck offline A air conditioning system necessary has keep OSIRIS-REx on Before throw.

SO, In 2020 When OSIRIS-REx collection It is sample Since Bennu, THE spatialship too full It is collection bedroom. THE asteroid was do of a lot looser material that scientists predicted, SO broadcast that THE spatialship could to have guard plowing In Bennu had he not carried out A pre-planned to move back maneuver.

HAS THE END of It is 4 billion miles celestial journey, THE OSIRIS-REx mothership spatialship released A 32 inches wide (81 centimeters) sample back capsule early Sunday as he darted towards Earth. More that four hours later, THE the capsule has landed has THE WE Air Forces Utah Test And Training Range South West of Salt Lake City has 8:52 a.m. am local time (10:52 am EDT Or 2:52 p.m. UTC).

Scientists work on from NASA $1 billion OSIRIS-REx assignment look at anxiously as THE capsule came back has Earth, brave temperatures of more that 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit After slamming In THE atmosphere has 27,650 mph (12.3 kilometers by second).

Radar sensors And infrared follow up cameras preview THE capsule as aerodynamic forces quickly decelerated THE vehicle, submit he has 32 times THE force of Earth gravity Before A orange And white main parachute open has A altitude of about 20,000 feet (6,100 meters).

This was about four times upper that predicted, with THE fall deployment sets off by A sensor on board THE capsule measure It is slow-down. He was not immediately clear if A drogue parachute supposed has stabilize THE capsule In fact open Before THE main fall, as was designed.

In any of them event, THE main parachute did It is job And book THE capsule has THE desert surface for a relatively soft landing has about ten has 11 mph (17 kilometers by hour). In minutes, A security official Since THE military test range approach THE blackened capsule with A security engineer Since Lockheed Martin, which built THE OSIRIS-REx spatialship For NASA.