OSIRIS-REx TAGs Surface of Asteroid Bennu

After over a decade of planning and countless hours of teamwork, our OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made history this week when it touched an asteroid to collect dust and pebbles from the surface for delivery to Earth in 2023.

Asteroid Bennu is more than 200 million miles from Earth. This pristine, ancient asteroid offers scientists a window into the early solar system as it was first taking shape billions of years ago.
 
The team believes that the asteroid sample collection event, called “Touch-And-Go” (TAG), gathered enough of a sample. From here, the team will focus on stowing the sample, where any loose material will be kept safe during the spacecraft’s journey back to Earth for generations of scientific discovery.  
 
Visit https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex for more information on the OSIRIS-REx mission.

OSIRIS-REx Touches Asteroid Bennu

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Submitted by New Fairfield, CT

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