- NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe is about to perform its most daring maneuver yet.
- In a rehearsal for the sample-gathering act planned for later this year, the spacecraft will carry out an exercise that will bring it closer to the asteroid Bennu than ever before.
- If all goes well, NASA is planning on snatching a sample of Bennu’s material in August.
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NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe has been hanging out around the massive space rock known as Bennu since late 2018. Since it arrived, it’s spent a lot of time examining the asteroid and sending back gorgeous images of its surface. Its observations of the asteroid have helped NASA plan for what will ultimately be the most important objective of the entire mission: Obtaining a sample of asteroid material and then returning it to Earth.
Now, with the planned date of its first-ever sample-gathering attempt fast approaching, the OSIRIS-REx team is preparing to send the probe on a dry run. It’s a rehearsal of sorts to ensure that the probe follows all the commands and does so safely. It’s also one of the most dangerous things the spacecraft will have done since arriving at Bennu.
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NASA’s asteroid probe is rehearsing for its most dangerous move yet originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 13 Apr 2020 at 19:07:02 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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