The capsule entered Earth’s atmosphere as planned at 10:42 a.m. EDT (8:42 a.m. MDT) off the coast of California.
It deployed two parachutes to slow down its descent and separated from the spacecraft, which diverted away from Earth and headed toward its new destination.
The sample capsule contains a priceless collection of pristine material from Bennu, which is believed to be a remnant of the early solar system. The sample will help scientists unravel the mysteries of how our Sun and planets formed some 4.5 billion years ago.A team of NASA and military personnel are on their way to recover the capsule from the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range.
This mosaic of Bennu was created using observations made by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which studied the asteroid in close proximity for over two years.As the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft entered Earth's orbit, anticipation reached a fever pitch. The culmination of years of planning, meticulous execution, and groundbreaking discoveries was about to unfold.
The contents of this capsule are nothing short of extraordinary. Within it lies a treasure trove of pristine material from Bennu—rocks and dust meticulously collected from the asteroid's surface in 2020. These unassuming particles hold within them the secrets of our cosmic history, providing a rare glimpse into the conditions that prevailed when our Sun and planets came into existence some 4.5 billion years ago.
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