NASAs OSIRIS-REx, after checking out the ancient asteroid Bennu, is en path to Earth with a sample from the asteroid. Captured in this image by ESAs Optical Ground Station (OGS) telescope on September 16, the spacecraft is seen 4.66 million km away from our world. Credit: ESA
NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is returning from asteroid Bennu with a sample, set to land on Earth on September 24. ESAs telescope caught the spacecraft 2.90 million miles away.
Is it a spacecraft? An asteroid? Well, both. This small central speck is the very first picture of a spacecraft on its method home, carrying with it a sample from an asteroid hundreds-of-millions, if-not-billions-of-years old. The spacecraft is NASAs OSIRIS-REx, the asteroid is Bennu.
On Sunday, September 24, the mission will drop its rocky sample off to fall through Earths atmosphere and land securely back home, before it continues to study the once rather frightening asteroid Apophis.
A noticeable green laser shone from ESAs Optical Ground Station (OGS). Part of Teide Observatory, the OGS located 2400 m above sea level on the volcanic island of Tenerife, used for the advancement of optical communication systems for area as well as space debris and near-Earth orbject surveys and quantum communication experiments.
Spotted on September 16 by ESAs Optical Ground Station (OGS) telescope in Tenerife, OSIRIS-REx was 2.90 million miles (4.66 million km) from Earth. This image is a mix of 90 specific images, each 36-second exposures. They have been combined in such a way that takes into consideration the movement of the spacecraft, which is not traveling in a straight line, triggering the seemingly extended background stars to curve and warp.
ESAs 1-meter OGS telescope was originally developed to observe space particles in orbit and test laser interaction innovations, however since widened its horizons to likewise carry out studies and follow-up observations of near-Earth asteroids and make night-time astronomy observations and has even found dozens of small planets.
For this observation, ESAs Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC) took over the reins, directing it at the returning asteroid explorer. The NEOCC, part of the Agencys Planetary Defence Office, is a little like Europes asteroid arranging hat; the center and its experts are scanning the skies for dangerous space rocks, computing their orbits and calculating their danger of impact.
From our small but mighty Space Safety telescope, we state Hello, OSIRIS-REx, good luck NASA and welcome safely to Earth, asteroid Bennu!.
NASAs OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center
NASAs OSIRIS-REx Mission
The OSIRIS-REx objective, which stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer, is a NASA-led undertaking focused on studying the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Introduced on September 8, 2016, the missions primary goal is to restore a sample from the asteroid to Earth. This effort is especially substantial as it enables scientists to study pristine products from the solar systems early history, perhaps supplying insights into the origins of life on Earth.
Secret Milestones:
NASAs OSIRIS-REx, after visiting the ancient asteroid Bennu, is en route to Earth with a sample from the asteroid. An asteroid? The spacecraft is NASAs OSIRIS-REx, the asteroid is Bennu.
The OSIRIS-REx objective, which stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer, is a NASA-led venture aimed at studying the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Launched on September 8, 2016, the objectives main objective is to bring back a sample from the asteroid to Earth.
