Five hundred million years after the sun was born, Jupiter’s massive gravity disrupts countless asteroids and comets. These hammer down on the inner planets. Did this impact deliver water and organics? The key ingredients to life? The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security -- Regolith Explorer spacecraft (OSIRIS-REx) will travel to a near-Earth asteroid, called Bennu, and bring a sample back to Earth for study. The mission will help scientists investigate how planets formed and how life began, as well as improve our understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth. OSIRIS-REx is scheduled for launch in late 2016. As planned, the spacecraft will reach its asteroid target in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023. Read more: nasa.gov/content/goddard/bennus-journey/
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 16:43:14 +0000
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