Surviving Bennu's Surprise: NASA's Close Call with OSIRIS-REx
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft encountered unexpected challenges when it arrived at asteroid Bennu, which looked and behaved differently than scientists had anticipated. The spacecraft's cameras revealed a "bouldery hellscape" instead of the smooth plains they had envisioned for sample collection. With the help of legendary guitarist Brian May, who provided expertise in stereoscopic imaging, the team identified a suitable landing site in a narrow crater. However, during the sample collection, the spacecraft sank unexpectedly into the asteroid's surface, causing a wall of debris to rise and potentially damage the spacecraft. Despite these challenges, OSIRIS-REx collected more asteroid material than expected, and the spacecraft will return to Earth with its cargo on September 24.
