NASA spacecraft begins 2-year trip home with asteroid rubble
Source: AP
By MARCIA DUNN
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) With rubble from an asteroid tucked inside, a NASA spacecraft fired its engines and began the long journey back to Earth on Monday, leaving the ancient space rock in its rearview mirror.
The trip home for the robotic prospector, Osiris-Rex, will take two years.
Osiris-Rex reached asteroid Bennu in 2018 and spent two years flying near and around it, before collecting rubble from the surface last fall.
The University of Arizonas Dante Lauretta, the principal scientist, estimates the spacecraft holds between a half pound and 1 pound (200 grams and 400 grams) of mostly bite-size chunks. Either way, it easily exceeds the target of at least 2 ounces (60 grams).
FILE - This illustration provided by NASA depicts the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at the asteroid Bennu. On Monday, May 10, 2021, the robotic explorer fired its engines, headed back to Earth with samples it collected from the asteroid, nearly 200 million miles away. (Conceptual Image Lab/Goddard Space Flight Center/NASA via AP)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/az-state-wire-asteroids-business-science-3210a89afa93601b008a3df1fe8a2608
djacq
(1,634 posts)ffr
(22,674 posts)Glad to hear things are on track for a successful return.
JohnnyRingo
(18,665 posts)It was a remarkable event to witness an actual satellite in orbit from our back yard. I still remember it vividly like it was just last year.
I think you get my point here.
Thanx for posting this.
pfitz59
(10,401 posts)game on!
Shanti Shanti Shanti
(12,047 posts)Observatories manned by robots of course, humans are too fragile and needy for long deep spaceflight.
Make it so