Exploring the Solar System: NASA to Return Asteroid Samples to Earth with Spacecraft
NASA is set to launch a spacecraft in 2023 that will collect samples from an asteroid in space and return them to Earth. The mission, called OSIRIS-REx, will launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida and travel to an asteroid called Bennu. Once there, the spacecraft will fly close to the asteroid’s surface and collect samples of its material. The samples will then be stored in a capsule that will be returned to Earth in 2023. This will be the first time that a spacecraft has returned samples from an asteroid to Earth. Scientists hope to learn more about the origins of our solar system by studying the samples. They will also investigate the possibility of using asteroids as a source of resources for future space exploration missions. OSIRIS-REx is expected to revolutionize our knowledge of asteroids, as well as provide valuable insights into the formation of our solar system.
source: Phys.org