The transcript discusses NASA's history-making mission, the OSRIS-Rex, which is set to bring back a sample from the asteroid Bennu to Earth. The mission, which launched in September 2016, spent two years traveling to the asteroid and another two years studying it. The goal of the mission is to understand the origins of our solar system by studying the asteroid's composition.
The asteroid Bennu is a carbon-rich asteroid with complex chemical compounds. Scientists are eager to study these compounds to learn more about the early history of our solar system. The mission has brought back the biggest sample ever from anywhere in space since the Apollo moon landings.
The sample capsule is expected to splash down to Earth on September 24th, Sunday. It will parachute into the atmosphere over the Utah test and training range in the desert outside of Salt Lake City. Scientists and the ground team will track its descent and be ready to collect it using helicopters. The sample will then be taken to a clean room in the Utah test and training range, and the next day it will be taken to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
The surprise element of the mission is the rugged surface of the asteroid. Scientists expected it to have a smooth sandy surface, but instead, it has boulders the size of houses. This required significant effort to find a safe site on the asteroid where a sample could be collected without damaging the spacecraft. The landing of the capsule will be live-streamed starting at 10 o'clock this morning on NASA's website and on their social media platforms.
1. This is a history-making moment as scientists are going to get their first-ever look at things coming back from the stars.
2. The NASA Rex space launch is going to bring asteroids back to Earth after traveling 3.9 billion miles.
3. The asteroid sample is going to be deposited into Earth's atmosphere on September 24th.
4. The asteroid sample is going to parachute into the atmosphere over the Utah test and training range in the desert outside of Salt Lake City.
5. The sample is going to be taken to NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
6. The Osiris-Rex Mission blasted off in September of 2016 and spent about two years journeying to the asteroid Bennu.
7. The sample was safely collected and stored in October of 2020.
8. The sample is a pristine Time Capsule from the early history of our solar system.
9. The surface of the asteroid is rugged with boulders the size of houses.
10. NASA will live stream the landing of the capsule at Johnson Space Center in Texas.