The first asteroid sample collected by the United States in space and brought to Earth will be unveiled Wednesday, October 11, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, with media accreditation now open. The sample will provide insights into the formation of the solar system and the origin of life on Earth.
This artist's concept shows the OSIRIS-REx (Origin Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security-Rock Explorer) spacecraft making contact with the asteroid Bennu's Touch-And-GoSample Arm Mechanism (TAGSAM). The purpose of the mission is to return samples of Bennu's surface coating to Earth for study and return detailed information about the asteroid and its trajectory. Source: NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Eastern Time (8 a.m. Beijing time), which will be broadcast live on NASA TV, the NASA app and the agency's website.
OSIRIS-REx is NASA's first asteroid sample return mission. It was launched in September 2016 and embarked on a journey to explore a near-Earth asteroid called "Bennu". In October 2020, the spacecraft ventured to the surface of the asteroid and collected about 250 grams of material to send to Earth. On September 24, 2023, OSIRIS-REx will release a capsule containing Bennu samples and land in the Utah desert, which will be a thrilling finale to the mission. Image source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Imaging Laboratory
At the event, NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origin, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security - Rock Explorer) science team will discuss preliminary analysis of the sample, which is expected to land in the Utah desert on Sunday, September 24.
After the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft enters the Earth's atmosphere and lands safely, NASA experts will collect rocks and dust from the asteroid Bennu inside the capsule and bring the samples to NASA's Johnson Division's pristine preservation facility for inspection.
Press conference attendees include:
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
Francis McCubbin, deputy director of OSIRIS-REx, NASA Johnson Division
Daniel Glavin, OSIRIS-REx sample analysis lead, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt
DanteLauretta, OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator, University of Arizona, Tucson
The seven-year journey and beyond
The Sept. 24 landing at the U.S. Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range near Dugway, Utah, will mark the end of a seven-year journey to explore the asteroid Bennu and collect samples from its surface and send them to Earth.
The next phase of the mission will begin upon the arrival of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule at Johnson on Monday, September 25, and will include sorting and research activities. The sample sorting team will carefully disassemble the sample container and extract most of the samples. Researchers will conduct preliminary analysis of the samples. The analysis results will be announced for the first time on October 11.
Laboratory and future research
NASA has established a dedicated OSIRIS-REx sample preservation laboratory, and administrators from the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences team will manage the distribution of samples to scientists around the world over the next few years. These scientists hope to learn more about how our planet and solar system formed and the origins of the organisms that may have given rise to life on Earth. Some of the samples will be retained for research decades from now, using techniques that will continue to improve over time.
The Johnson Laboratory houses the world's largest collection of material from solar system objects, including samples from asteroids, comets, dust from Mars, the moon, the sun and other stars. Scientists use world-class laboratories to conduct research on planetary materials and space environments to explore the origin and evolution of the solar system and other planets.