OSIRIS-REx Mission: When and where you can watch spacecraft return with historic asteroid sample
OSIRIS-REx mission, spearheaded by NASA, is reaching a crucial milestone as it returns to Earth, bearing an exceptional sample harvested from the asteroid Bennu. Launched in 2016, this mission, officially named Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security–Regolith Explorer, achieved a historic feat when it successfully collected dust and pebbles from Bennu's surface three years ago.
This remarkable endeavor marks NASA's first attempt to acquire material from an asteroid and bring it back to our planet.
Here's what you need to know about this mission:
The Return Date
The much-anticipated homecoming is set for September 24, approximately around 7.30 pm IST. OSIRIS-REx will release a capsule, containing a valuable 250-gram sample, from an altitude of 100,000 kilometers.
The capsule will touch down in the Utah desert in the United States on Sunday. The release command will originate from Lockheed Martin's control center in Colorado.
How to Watch
For those eager to witness this historic event, NASA will be providing live coverage of the OSIRIS-REx capsule landing, starting at 10 am EDT (7.30 pm IST) on September 24.
You can follow the event on NASA TV and their official website. A post-landing news conference is also scheduled for about 5 pm EDT (2.30 am IST on September 25) when the sample capsule arrives at a temporary clean room on the military range.
What Happens Next
Post-return, NASA has comprehensive plans for the collected sample.
Over the next two years, from late 2023 to 2025, scientists will meticulously catalog and analyze the material. A significant portion, at least 75%, of the Bennu sample will be preserved at NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, ensuring its availability for
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