NASA's research vehicle "Osris Rex" was able to maneuver around the "son" space rock and collect a rock sample from its surface • Now it remains to wait for the return of the lander
Imaging of the space probe approaches the surface of the asteroid // Photo: AFP
NASA's research probe Osris Rex, a family-sized aircraft built by Lockheed Martin, made little history tonight when it landed on the ground of its giant asteroid, 200 million kilometers from Earth, and collected about 60 grams of rock material from it.
The lander’s journey to the asteroid began in 2016 and the lander reached it in 2018. It orbited and photographed the vast space rock for two years.
The culmination of the process was the approach of the research probe to the asteroid itself to take a sample from it and embark on a journey to Earth to test the sample in NASA laboratories.
It was a very complex maneuver that allowed the probe to reach almost to the surface of the giant asteroid, to a crater the size of a tennis court with rocky and prominent edges.
Because the asteroid's gravity is not great, the lander did not really touch the ground but sent a robotic arm 3.4 meters long and it did touch the ground itself tonight and caused a small and very difficult history to realize.
The back-away burn is complete I'm now moving to a safe distance away from Bennu.
pic.twitter.com/bXk2ufSneS
- NASA's OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) October 20, 2020
Astronaut Professor Dante Loretta, of the University of Arizona, who led the four-year guest project, expressed immense excitement after the successful operation and said, "This is really history, it's hard to believe we were able to do it because of the complexity of the process."
The announcement of the success of the operation reached the Earth 18 minutes after the probe itself touched the ground, due to the great distance.
In fact, the whole process of controlling the lander was time-consuming, which required the crew to constantly plan ahead the research and operations of the small and remote aircraft.
(BOOP) SUCCESS
After over a decade of planning & countless hours of teamwork, we are overjoyed by the success of @ OSIRISREx's attempt to touch down on ancient asteroid Bennu.
What's next for the mission: https://t.co/zs0Boi2Iux
: @LockheedMartin pic.twitter.com/FfMBHVGrT9
- NASA (@NASA) October 21, 2020
The focus on the asteroid in our son stems from it being a very large space rock and there is a 1 in 2700 chance that it will reach in its orbit a very dangerous proximity to Earth for about another hundred and fifty years.
Also the structure of this asteroid is rich in carbon, a substance required for the existence of life on Earth.
There are also chances that there are many metals on the asteroid which makes it have real potential for mining minerals in the future.
