NASA OSIRIS-REx Returns: Examining Bennu's Sample and its Implications for Earth's Safety

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is scheduled to return to Earth on September 24, carrying a sample of an asteroid that poses a potential collision risk to our planet in 159 years. The asteroid, named Bennu, falls under the category of potentially hazardous asteroids due to its intersecting orbit with Earth. Scientists estimate that there is a 0.037% chance, or one in 2,700, of Bennu colliding with Earth on September 24, 2182.

Bennu is a relic from the early stages of our solar system, dating back approximately 4.5 billion years. It features a diamond-shaped body with a diameter of around 500 meters. Researchers believe that studying Bennu can provide valuable insights into the origin of the solar system and life itself.

The OSIRIS-REx mission was launched by NASA in 2016 with the objective of studying and collecting samples from Bennu. In 2020, the spacecraft successfully landed on Bennu's surface and gathered approximately 250 grams of rock material from a site called Nightingale. The collected sample is anticipated to be uncontaminated and hold significant scientific value.

During the mission, NASA made an intriguing discovery concerning Bennu: the asteroid was consistently expelling particles into space. Potential causes for this phenomenon include meteor impacts, thermal stress fractures, and the release of water vapor.

By analyzing the sample obtained from Bennu, NASA aims to enhance our understanding of the asteroid and its potential threat to Earth. Additionally, NASA has contingency plans to either alter Bennu's trajectory or mitigate the threat it poses, if necessary.