NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully returned a sample from the asteroid Bennu, marking the first time NASA has brought back an asteroid sample. The spacecraft collected rocks and dust from Bennu's surface after a seven-year mission, bringing them to Earth in a capsule. Scientists hope to study these ancient materials to gain insights into the origins of life on Earth and potential planetary defense strategies against future asteroid impacts. Bennu, though not an extinction-level threat, requires monitoring due to its size, and NASA has demonstrated the ability to alter an asteroid's trajectory to prevent catastrophic impacts.
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1. NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft completed a seven-year mission to return an asteroid sample from the asteroid Bennu.
2. The spacecraft released a capsule containing about half a pound of rocks, dust, and soil from Bennu over the United States.
3. The capsule entered Earth's atmosphere at about 27,000 miles per hour and landed safely in the Utah desert with the help of parachutes.
4. After landing, crews inspected the capsule to ensure it was intact and not leaking toxic fumes.
5. The sample will be transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and revealed to the public in about two weeks.
6. Scientists aim to study the asteroid sample to gain insights into the origins of life on Earth and the potential role of asteroids in seeding life.
7. Bennu, the asteroid, is about 600 feet across and lacks significant gravity, making it challenging to land on.
8. There is a small chance that Bennu could potentially impact Earth in about 150 years, prompting NASA's interest in studying it.
9. NASA has the technology to potentially alter the course of asteroids like Bennu to prevent catastrophic impacts.
10. The DART mission demonstrated the capability to perturb an asteroid's orbit to prevent a regional catastrophe.
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