surface during a six-second-long touch-
and-go sample collection procedure.
In fact, the sample head snagged such
a large haul that subsequent photos from
the spacecraft showed some of the col-
lected regolith had wedged open a f lap
meant to seal it inside. The photos
prompted mission controllers to stow
the head inside the spacecraft in late
October, to prevent too many sample
particles from f loating away, rather than
waiting until early November as origi-
nally planned.
Now, its package safely stored,
OSIRIS-REx is headed for Earth and will
f ly past our planet on Sept. 24, 2023.
That’s when it will release the SRC to
parachute to the ground while the space-
craft continues onward, ultimately to
orbit the Sun between Venus and
Mercury. If approved, a suggested mis-
sion extension could later send the craft
on to visit 99942 Apophis in 2029.
The mission follows in the footsteps of
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s
Hayabusa2, which in February 2019 col-
lected samples of another near-Earth
asteroid, Ryugu, returning them to Earth
Dec. 6, 2020. Like OSIRIS-REx,
Hayabusa2 performed a f lyby of our
planet. It is now headed to visit two more
near-Earth asteroids: (98943) 2001 CC 21and 1998 KY 26. NASA received and is
currently studying a portion of Ryugu’s
soil in exchange for sharing a sample
from Bennu.The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is now on its way
home, its sample of the asteroid Bennu safely
stowed. This snapshot, taken by the spacecraft
Oct. 22, 2020, shows the collection head literally
overflowing with fragments of the asteroid’s surface
— some of which had wedged open the mylar flap
meant to contain them. NASASPACE STORIES
OF
2O
Over the past year, researchers mourned
the loss of Arecibo and applauded the
first helicopter f light on Mars. Plus,
commercial spacef light really took off.
BY ALISON KLESMAN