"Thrilling Hypersonic Return of Asteroid Sampler Yields Valuable Scientific Discoveries"
NASA's OSIRIS-REx capsule, carrying samples from the asteroid Bennu, made a hypersonic re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, providing scientists with valuable data on the aerodynamics and energetics of incoming meteors. Researchers positioned various equipment along the trajectory to capture the capsule's passage, including aeroplanes, balloons, and seismometers. The data collected will help scientists better understand the risks posed by asteroids and improve the design of heat shields for future space missions. The re-entry was one of the most-instrumented hypersonic re-entries in history, and the findings will contribute to disaster prevention and other applications.