The discovery is a capstone achievement for NASA, which went to great lengths to secure and deliver asteroid samples from asteroid Bennu in 2020.
Engineers struggled to open the sample canister for months, but it was all worth it for twice the amount of asteroid they thought they were getting.
The asteroid Bennu, touched by a spacecraft in 2020, could have a spectacular history.
After months of struggling to get to the bulk of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample, the space agency has unveiled a treasure trove of ancient rocks and dust.
The space agency has been struggling with two pesky fasteners that, for months, stood in the way of the precious Bennu sample.
After dropping off samples from asteroid Bennu to Earth, the newly rebranded mission is headed to asteroid Apophis to stir up its surface.
The space agency is having to develop new tools to crack open the canister containing bits from asteroid Bennu.
The OSIRIS-REx mission narrowly avoided a parachute failure, with an investigation revealing the cause and stressing the need for clear instructions.
If NASA ever manages to pry open the sample canister, that is.
The museum will unveil the first public display of the OSIRIS-REx mission samples on November 3.
Scientists have collected rock and dust from outside the canister, but the bulk of the sample remains stuck inside.
Today's asteroid sample unveil came with a twist: NASA didn't open the canister due to excess exterior material, but scientists are amazed by early insights.
The space agency is set for the ultimate unboxing as it presents samples taken from asteroid Bennu this Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. ET.
NASA has released a new video capturing the moment when its OSIRIS-REx probe released a canister containing materials from asteroid Bennu.
OSIRIS-REx's return from Bennu comes with a twist, as scientists face delays in disassembling the canister due to an abundance of material on the exterior.
Recovery specialists opened the lid of NASA's OSIRIS-REx sample canister and discovered some extra bits of the asteroid on the avionics deck.
Over the weekend, the OSIRIS-REx probe successfully delivered rocky samples from asteroid Bennu, which could hold clues to the origins of life on Earth.
The probe will drop off surface samples from asteroid Bennu on Sunday morning, aiming for a parachute-assisted landing in the Utah desert.
The NASA spacecraft will return a sample from the distant asteroid to Earth on September 24.
The spacecraft adjusted its trajectory relative to Earth, aiming for the precise sample capsule landing zone.
Mode
Follow us
