Asteroid's Surface Like a "Plastic Ball Pit," Scientists Find

The original OSIRIS-REx mission was to fly to the asteroid Bennu, collect a small sample, and return to Earth.

There was a major surprise along the way.

When OSIRIS-REx tried to touch down on Bennu back in 2020, it sank into the asteroid's quicksand-like surface.

The mission's researchers think they know why after reading two new papers this week.

Dante Lauretta, lead author of one of the studies and principal investigator of the OSIRIS-RE mission, said that they expected the surface to be rigid like a gravel pile. We were shocked when we saw the images after the event.

She said there was absolutely no resistance. The surface flowed like water.

Space Fluff

Six months later, the researchers sent the craft back to Bennu. The second mission revealed that OSIRIS-REx had left a 65 foot wide impact crater.

The secret to Bennu's fluff is in its mass according to a NASA statement. There is a lot of empty space on the planet because the particles that form it are both packed and bound.

NASA says that stepping into a pit of plastic balls would feel like it. Like the ones at your local Chuck E Cheese store.

The research is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Since Bennu is held together by so little force, an impact with Earth would likely cause the asteroid to shatter within the Pale Blue Dot's atmosphere.

The asteroid Bennu is not what scientists expected.

Here's what to expect from james wbb's first images.