Countdown to Asteroid-Sample Return: OSIRIS-REx's Final Preparations Revealed

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which collected samples from the asteroid Bennu, is preparing to return to Earth on September 24. The spacecraft is in good health, and extensive practice sessions have been conducted to ensure the proper handling of the asteroid samples upon landing. The capsule will be picked up by helicopter and transported to a clean room in Utah, where it will be disassembled to access the science canister holding the samples. The estimated amount of asteroid material collected is between 5.26 to 12.34 ounces. Once the samples are analyzed, researchers hope to uncover new insights about the early solar system.