But the more scientists know about the paths
and properties of potentially hazardous space
rocks like this one, the safer we’ll all be.
Osiris-Rex could make two more touch-and-
go maneuvers if Tuesday’s sample comes up
short. Regardless of how many tries it takes, the
samples won’t return to Earth until 2023 to close
out the $800-plus million quest. The sample
capsule will parachute into the Utah desert.
“That will be another big day for us. But this is
absolutely the major event of the mission right
now,” NASA scientist Lucy Lim said.
Japan expects samples from its second asteroid
mission — in the milligrams at most — to land
in the Australian desert in December.
NASA, meanwhile, plans to launch three more
asteroid missions in the next two years, all one-
way trips.