NASA spoke about the return to Earth of a capsule with soil from the asteroid Bennu

NASA spoke about the return to Earth of a capsule with soil from the asteroid Bennu

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A capsule with soil samples from the asteroid Bennu landed in Utah in the USA. reports CBS News citing NASA data. This marked the end of the OSIRIS-REx mission, which lasted seven years.

The samples were collected in 2020, representing half a pound (about 200 grams) of rocks and soil taken from the asteroid. Scientists believe that the capsule, released from the probe about four hours ago, was able to safely overcome the elevated temperatures as it passed through the atmosphere, and that soil samples are intact.

Specialists from Lockheed Martin, which won the contract for the mission, and Pentagon officials arrived at the capsule’s landing site within minutes to inspect it for physical damage.

The capsule is then scheduled to be taken to a clean room to begin the disassembly process and ready to be sent to the Lyndon Johnson Space Center in Houston for further study.

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