The conversation discusses NASA's mission to collect samples from a moving asteroid, specifically the Osiris-Rex mission. The host talks to Amy Simon from the Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, about the mission, the importance of studying asteroids, and the challenges involved in the mission.
Amy explains that asteroids are small, rocky bodies that are remnants from when the solar system formed. They are studied because they can provide information about how the Earth and other planets in our solar system were formed.
The Osiris-Rex mission is a complicated one because the asteroid is moving and out in space. The mission involves puncturing a sample hole on the asteroid and bringing it back to Earth. The reason for doing a sample return versus a meteorite that landed on Earth is the contamination factor. The samples from the asteroid have not been sitting on the Earth surface or burned up in the atmosphere, providing a very pure sample that can be studied in the laboratories.
The host mentions that getting to the asteroid was a challenge, taking about two years for the spacecraft to catch up to it. Once in orbit, they spent about two years mapping out the surface and carefully picked a safe location to sample from. Then another couple of years to get back to Earth. The timing has to be just right to get into the right spot of orbit.
The host also talks about the speed of the mission. To give a sense of scale, the spacecraft will be traveling at about 25,000 miles per hour when it returns to Earth.
Amy explains that the mission didn't just grab the sample, but also studied the asteroid in unprecedented detail. They are hoping to see organics, specifically amino acids, the building blocks of life, as well as evidence for past water on the asteroid.
After the samples are returned, the spacecraft will divert and head onto the next target, which is near another asteroid.
1. The text discusses the importance of staying in the country or pursuing citizenship, as it protects from deportation and allows individuals to work.
2. The narrative then shifts to a story about a real event from seven years ago involving NASA, an asteroid, and a mission to collect samples from the asteroid and bring them back to Earth.
3. The asteroid was moving, posing a unique challenge for the mission.
4. The mission involved a spacecraft traveling nearly 3.9 billion miles to deliver its precious cargo.
5. The return to the planet was not easy.
6. The text mentions Amy Simon joining from the Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
7. The discussion about the mission includes the explanation of what an asteroid is and why it's important to study them.
8. Asteroids are small, rocky bodies that are remnants from when the solar system formed.
9. The mission to study the asteroid is important because it can provide a lot of information about how the Earth and all of the planets in our solar system were formed.
10. The return mission to Earth is equally as complicated as the journey to the asteroid.
11. The text mentions that the contamination factor is a reason for doing a sample return versus a meteorite that landed on Earth.
12. The text states that the testing example of material that has not been sitting on the Earth surface or burned up in the atmosphere is to get a very pure sample that can be studied in the laboratories.
13. The mission to the asteroid involved a series of complex calculations to get the trajectory just right to reach the target.
14. It took about two years for the spacecraft to catch up to the asteroid once it was in orbit.
15. Another couple of years were spent mapping out the surface and carefully picking a safe location to take the sample from.
16. The timing has to be just right to get into the right spot of orbit.
17. The spacecraft will release the sample return capsule and it will reenter the Earth's atmosphere.
18. The recovery team will spring into action to pick it up and move it into a temporary facility.
19. The text mentions that the mission is to travel 3.9 billion miles to get back to Earth.
20. From the Earth entry point, which is way higher than an airplane, the capsule will come in pretty fast.
21. The mission did not just grab the sample, but also studied the asteroid in unprecedented detail.
22. The text mentions that the labs have more sophisticated equipment, and they want to get their samples in the lab to look at the composition and look at those rocks under microscopes.
23. The text mentions that they are hoping to see organics, amino acids, the building blocks of life, as well as evidence for past water on the venue.
24. The text mentions that from here, Osiris-Rex becomes Osiris Apex.
25. Once the sample is released, the spacecraft will divert and head onto the next target, which is near another asteroid.