In a climactic moment on Sunday, the United States celebrated the successful conclusion of a seven-year space voyage as a NASA capsule touched down in the Utah desert. This remarkable mission carried to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected, promising valuable insights into the formation of our solar system and the habitability of Earth.
As the NASA live video webcast captured the moment, a commentator announced, “Touchdown of the Osiris-Rex sample return capsule!” Engineers and team members at the nearby mission control center erupted into applause. Completing an astonishing 3.86-billion-mile journey, this mission marked the United States’ first-ever sample return of its kind.
NASA Chief Bill Nelson lauded the mission, highlighting that the asteroid dust collected “will give scientists an extraordinary glimpse into the beginnings of our solar system.”
The Osiris-Rex probe embarked on its historic journey four years ago in 2016, ultimately landing on the asteroid Bennu. There, it gathered an estimated nine ounces of dust from the rocky surface. Even this relatively small amount of asteroid material is expected to significantly enhance our understanding of the types of asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth.
Nasa scientist Amy Simon emphasized the historic nature of this achievement, stating, “This is going to be the biggest sample we’ve brought back since the Apollo moon rocks were returned to Earth.”
The final descent of the Osiris-Rex probe through Earth’s atmosphere was a perilous phase of the mission. However, NASA engineers managed to engineer a soft landing at 8:52 am local time (1452 GMT) within the military’s Utah Test and Training Range.
The capsule’s fiery passage through the atmosphere occurred in the last 13 minutes of its descent, during which it reached speeds of over 27,000 miles per hour and endured temperatures of up to 5,000 Fahrenheit. Its rapid descent was intended to be slowed by two successive parachutes, although the main chute deployed at a higher altitude than initially planned, at about 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) instead of the anticipated 5,000 feet, according to NASA.
Images from NASA revealed the capsule, approximately the size of a tire, resting on the desert floor, with scientists approaching it to take readings. Fortunately, the capsule remained unbreached, ensuring the crucial air-tight seal was intact, preventing any contamination of the asteroid sample with desert sands. The team subsequently transported the capsule by helicopter to a nearby “clean room.”
Meanwhile, the probe that embarked on this historic space journey fired its engines and changed course, setting its sights on another asteroid known as Apophis. Scientists anticipate that Apophis will come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029, offering a unique opportunity for further exploration and understanding of these celestial bodies.
