Sunday, September 24, 2023, Nasa’s first asteroid sample at 8.8 ounces was returned to Earth being carried in Nasa’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft mission. This sample completed the mission’s seven-year journey after collecting it from the space capsule upon its return to the Utah desert. The sample now sits in a special room made by Nasa in the Johnson Space Center located in Houston, where it is being inspected by experts before it is released to researchers for further exploration.
This sample could change what scientists know about Earth and help them better understand the origin of the solar system. “For us, this was the World Series, ninth inning, bases-loaded moment, and this team knocked it out of the park.” Rich Burns, project manager for the OSIRIS-REx mission said.
