NASA’s Long Awaited First Asteroid Sample Lands On Earth

A celestial sample consisting of 250 grams soil sample scooped up from the surface of an asteroid, collected by NASA has touched down on Earth.

Parachuted into the Utah desert, USA, the celestial specimen gives the scientists an opportunity to learn more about the origins of the solar system.

Launched in 2016, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft scooped the sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu.

OSIRIS-REx, which stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer, began orbiting Bennu in 2018, collected the sample in 2020 and set off on its lengthy return trip to Earth in May 2021.

After this, the spacecraft is expected to sail on to explore Apophis, another near-Earth asteroid.