NASA's OSIRIS-Rex Sampling Mission to Bennu Asteroid!

Today you are going to learn about one of the biggest human space missions. NASA's OSIRIS-Rex sampling mission to Bennu Asteroid! On October 20, 2020, NASA's Asteroid Sampling Mission (OSIRIS-Rex) succeeded for the first time in touching the surface of the Bennu Asteroid, located about 321 million kilometers away from our Earth, and collecting samples of it. This was the first time that a NASA mission was going to a near-earth asteroid and collecting its samples from there. Why has NASA spent billions of dollars for a few gram samples of this near-earth asteroid, which may collide with our Earth in the future? Actually, it had already returned to Earth on September 24, 2023. Today you will get complete information about this insane and challenging space mission of NASA.

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Contents:

1. About Bennu Asteroid
2. Why NASA chose Bennu Asteroid
3. OSIRIS-Rex Mission of NASA
4. Returning to Earth with Bennu Sample
5. Summary and FAQ

About Bennu Asteroid

Bennu Asteroid is one of the millions of asteroids present in our solar system, but it is a near-earth asteroid. Asteroids present in our solar system revolve around our sun from a long distance. They are considered very dangerous objects that come very close to our Earth during their orbit, due to which there is a risk of them colliding with our Earth. Bennu is one such near-earth asteroid that was discovered by the Near-Earth Research Team in 1999. Bennu is a carbon-rich asteroid that is mainly made up of carbon and other minerals. 

According to scientists, this is a very low-density asteroid, about 60 percent of which is empty space; that is, this asteroid is hollow from the inside. This asteroid was formed around 4.6 billion years ago in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, but due to the gravitational force of other planets and asteroids, its path changed over the course of millions of years, and it became closer to our Earth.

 

And at present, due to the sun's gravitational force and sunlight, every year this asteroid is moving about 300 meters towards our sun. Bennu Asteroid passes close to the Earth every 6 years, so they estimate that after hundreds of years from today, during the years 2175 to 2199, this asteroid will pass closest to our Earth. And during this time, there is a 1 in 2700 chance of this asteroid hitting our planet. The most unique fact about this asteroid is that since its creation, there has been no major change in its structure during the last few billion years. 

Which means that the chemicals, dust, and rocks present on its surface are as old as the time of the birth of our solar system. That means you can also call this asteroid a time capsule present in space, which can tell us a lot about the formation of our solar system. Scientists have also predicted that in the early days of the Earth, many asteroids, like the Bennu asteroid, collided with the Earth, which was filled with water and other organic materials important for the origin of life on Earth.

 

Why did NASA choose the Bennu Asteroid?

Scientists can uncover many mysteries related to the origin of life on our planet by studying the samples of the Bennu Asteroid. Also, by studying the composition and formation of such near-earth asteroids, scientists can identify such asteroids that may pose a threat to our planet in the future. All these were the main reasons why NASA chose this asteroid, located about 321 million kilometers away from our Earth, for its ambitious Asteroid Sample Return Mission.

 

OSIRIX-Rex mission was launched from Florida on September 8, 2016, after which, after several maneuvers, gravity assistance, and trajectory correction, it started its journey to Asteroid Bennu. After traveling a long distance of 319 million kilometers for about 2 years, in August 2018, the spacecraft got a view of the Bennu Asteroid for the first time, and then it started its approach phase.

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OSIRIX–Rex mission of NASA

During this phase, the spacecraft took photographs of Bennu for the first time and then studied its shape, orbit, and trajectory. After a few months, in December 2018, this spacecraft finally successfully entered the orbit of Bennu, with which its preliminary survey phase started. During this survey phase, the spacecraft circled it about five times, during which it passed through its North Pole, Equator, and then South Pole. The main objective of the preliminary survey was to study the mass, spinning speed, and structure of the Bennu Asteroid and create a global model of its shape.

 

What did scientists find after studying the Bennu Asteroid?

After starting the study of the Bennu Asteroid, scientists came to know many unique things about it. Initially,  scientists believed that the surface of this asteroid could be very smooth, which is mainly filled with space dust and small rocks. will happen But scientists found out in the initial study that its surface is very rough, where many huge rocks and boulders are present. Scientists also believed that this asteroid would be geographically inactive, where there has been no movement for millions of years. 

But within only 1 week of the Bennu Asteroid reaching orbit, the spacecraft detected space dust and rocks being ejected from its surface, which were going into space due to the heat of the sun and its weak gravity. After which, OSIRIS-Rex Spacecraft started its Detailed Survey Phase in February 2019. During this phase, this spacecraft passed close to the Bennu Asteroid from many different angles so that it could study its surface closely. 

The spacecraft began mapping the chemical composition of the asteroid's surface using its OTES spectrometer. During this time, it also started taking high-resolution photographs of the surface of this asteroid so that scientists could prepare a digital map of its surface. The main objective of this phase was to identify a suitable site for sample collection where the spacecraft would not face any danger from the rocks and boulders present on its surface.

 

At the end of this phase, scientists identified four different sites present on its surface for sample collection. After which, this spacecraft passed over all four different sites one by one so that it could study the surface of these sites more closely. After these studies, scientists finally chose a place called Nightingale, located in the North Pole of Bennu, as a sample site. 

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This site is relatively young compared to other sites, and the dust and rock present on its surface are freshly exposed. After which, on October 20, 2020, it started its Touch and Go mission, during which this spacecraft would touch the surface of the asteroid, collect samples from there, and go back to its orbit. To collect samples from the surface of the asteroid, it took out its specially designed robotic arm.

 

During the Touch and Go maneuver, this spacecraft went close to the surface of Bennu, after which its robotic arm touched the surface and collected dust and rock samples from there. When the scientists were confident that they had collected about 60 grams of samples required for this mission, they kept this sample in their sample return capsule. After this, on April 7, 2021, the spacecraft carried out the flyby of the Bennu Asteroid for the last time and slowly started its journey to Earth. 

On May 10, the spacecraft fired its main engine so that it could increase its speed for its journey to Earth. After firing its engine for about seven minutes, the spacecraft had achieved the speed of about 1000 kilometers per hour required for its journey. With this speed and trajectory, the spacecraft will take about 2.5 years to complete its 321 million-kilometer journey to Earth.

 

Returning to Earth with Bennu Sample

NASA's OSIRIS-Rex has already returned on September 24, 2023, with a Bennu asteroid sample. Space Craft collected that sample in October 2020. That spacecraft released a capsule that contained that sample, and the capsule landed on the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range with the help of a parachute, and the team on this mission collected that capsule. 

The sample actually includes some pieces of rock and dust, which contain water and carbon molecules. Scientists are now researching this sample, and they will continue their study on it for two years. NASA has also shared a 0.5% sample with JAXA, as JAXA also shared its 10% asteroid sample with NASA.

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Summary and FAQ

Now scientists are studying this sample to know more about Bennu Asteroid, how asteroids form, and what they contain. We have given complete details about this mission, which will give our scientists more information about our spacecraft, the formation of our solar system, and more. We will update this article if NASA releases any major findings about this sample. We have already published many articles on NASA's upcoming insane space missions. I hope you have learned a lot. Here are the answers to some questions that could arise in your mind:

1. What is the OSIRIS-Rex Bennu sample?

The sample actually includes some pieces of rock and dust, which contain water and carbon molecules.

2. Why did NASA send OSIRIS-Rex to Bennu?

NASA sent OSIRIS-Rex to Bennu Asteroid to learn more about its formation and what it contains.

3. Why is Bennu so important?

Scientists found the Bennu Asteroid so important as it could tell us a lot about asteroids and the past of our solar system.

4. Why is NASA interested in Bennu?

NASA is intrigued by Bennu's unchanged state since the early solar system. The OSIRIS-REx mission aims to collect a sample for insights into solar system origins and planetary defense.

5. What is a fun fact about Bennu?

A fascinating fact about Bennu is that its name comes from an ancient Egyptian mythological bird, symbolizing rebirth, which aligns with the asteroid's potential to offer insights into the early solar system's history.