"NASA's Fiery Descent: Asteroid Samples from Bennu Set to Land on Earth"

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is set to return to Earth on Sunday, carrying a half-pound of rocks and dust collected from the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft will enter Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 27,650 mph, with its protective heat shield experiencing temperatures higher than 5,000 degrees. It will deploy parachutes to slow down before landing in Utah. Recovery crews will examine the sample capsule for any signs of contamination before transporting it to a clean room for further analysis at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The samples are expected to provide valuable insights into the early formation of the solar system and the origins of life on Earth.