NASA has collected part of an asteroid over 200 million miles away.
NASA completed collection of materials from the surface of an asteroid named Bennu on 20th October, 2020. This unique mission was carried out by the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft. Asteroid Bennu, from which the samples were taken, is over 200 million miles away from Earth.
The spacecraft is slated to begin its return to Earth in March 2021, and arrive in September 2023. The sample collection was done through a “Touch And Go” or TAG method. The scientists in the study will determine whether sufficient sample was collected. If not, they may do another similar maneuver in January 2021 prior to the return journey.
The journey of the spacecraft OSIRIS-REx began with its launch on September 8, 2016 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Once it reached near the asteroid Bennu on December 31, 2018, it began orbiting it and has been collecting and transmitting data. The samples were collected from a site that has been named “Nightingale.”
A recent update from the asteroid mission include the discovery that sunlight can produce cracks in the rocks on an asteroid. This phenomenon, termed as thermal fracturing, was observed through the OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite (OCAMS). The scientists estimate that the daytime heating (temperatures rise as high as 260F) and night time cooling (lows of minus 100F) might be responsible for this phenomenon. Another study has reported presence of minerals that suggest presence of water.
As per NASA, “Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the sun. Although asteroids orbit the sun like planets, they are much smaller than planets.” What is significant about them is that they can be billions of years old. Their material will give NASA insight into what the universe was like billions of years ago. It may also give them information that could help prevent asteroid collisions with Earth in the future.
Asteroid Bennu, which is a Near Earth Object (NEO) is not the only asteroid being investigated up close. The other one is asteroid Ryugu, which is the subject of a spacecraft called Hayabusa2 launched from Japan. This spacecraft began its journey a couple years before the NASA launch and is currently on its way back to Earth. The first launch of a spacecraft to asteroid Ryugu was called Hayabusa, in 2003. Hyabusa2 is slated to land in South Australia on December 6, 2020.
Bibliography
NASA. “NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft successfully touches asteroid.” ScienceDaily, 20 October 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201020184134.htm
“NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Discovers Sunlight Can Crack Rocks on Asteroid Bennu.” Asteroidmission.org, 2020, https://www.asteroidmission.org/?latest-news=nasas-osiris-rex-discovers-sunlight-can-crack-rocks-on-asteroid-bennu
Hamilton, V.E., Simon, A.A., Christensen, P.R. et al. Evidence for widespread hydrated minerals on asteroid (101955) Bennu. Nat Astron 3, 332–340 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0722-2
Redd, Nola Taylor. “News Feature: Diamonds in the Rubble.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 26 May 2020, www.pnas.org/content/117/21/11187.
Garner, Rob. “OSIRIS-REx.” NASA, NASA, 20 Feb. 2015, www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex.
“The Hayabusa2 Re-Entry Capsule Approved to Land in Australia.” JAXA, 19 Aug. 2020, global.jaxa.jp/press/2020/08/20200819-1_e.html.
