Rocks from one of the most ancient objects in the universe have been sent to Earth. After grabbing a sample from asteroid Bennu in October 2020, the probe has been on its way to Earth. NASA altered its trajectory to keep it on track. The OSIRIS-REx mission is going to deliver samples from the asteroid Bennu. After the scheduled flyby, the capsule containing the asteroid samples will make a parachute-assisted landing at the Utah Test and Training Range. The incoming trajectory of the spaceship is crucial for this to work. The OSIRIS-REx deputy project manager said in a statement that if the capsule is too high, it will skip off the atmosphere. It will burn up in the atmosphere. NASA will conduct a series of maneuvers over the next year to ensure the precious samples stay safe.
The team behind the mission changed the trajectory of the spacecraft for the first time since it parted ways with Bennu on May 10, 2021. The first maneuver will have OSIRIS-REx pass Earth at a distance of about 2,200 kilometers, while the final correction will bring it to within 155 miles of the surface. The sample can be safely dropped off at that distance.
The OSIRIS-REx was launched in September of 2016 NASA is attempting to return surface materials from an asteroid that can be used in a lab. It is believed that Bennu was formed 4 billion years ago. The type of materials that existed in the early solar system can be better understood by analyzing samples from Bennu.
After OSIRIS-REx drops off the sample from Bennu to Earth, it will go on another mission to rendezvous with another asteroid.
NASA says that walking on a asteroid would be like stepping into a ball pit.
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